Fading Blankness
by Archer' Grimm
Summary: Athrun and Kira are war orphans taken in by the commander of a secret organization at the age of 4. They serve as elite special agents and has never failed a mission but a different task will change their lives slowly and steadily
1. Mission Accepted

"Drop that gun! Or I'll kill her!" threatened a man dressed in a rumpled suit as he held an office clerk hostage.

The female was sobbing in fear as she pleaded for mercy. At their feet, several bloody bodies lay dead, each with a gun wound to the head. The former switched his sights back and forth from his victim and a blue-haired individual, who was wearing the same attire as the female hostage and holding his gun at him.

"All you comrades are dead, my dear chairman. I wouldn't that if I were you" commented the blue-haired person coldly and almost sarcastically.

Almost as immediately as he finished, several bullets from a muffled gun pierced the back of the man's body and into the female hostage. All the hostages surrounding the scene screamed in shock.

"Who…who are you" wailed the man as a shadow came over him and a flash of light punctured his skull.

This time, a brown-haired individual, who was sitting among the hostages, came into view across the blue-hair as the man and the female clerk fell dead. The two glanced at each other for a split second before a wave of black-uniformed soldiers poured into the room.

* * *

Mission Accepted

* * *

A lady with flowing blue hair, and sporting a dark-blue formal female uniform, walked across a vintage-style room, with numerous glass windows and antique paintings, towards a beautiful, wide oak desk at the end. In her hand, she held a bunch of documents. She saluted, placing her right hand on the front of her left shoulder at 45 degrees pointing down, towards the back of the leather chair behind the oak desk and said, "They are back, Commander Waltfeld. Would you like them to report?" 

Upon hearing this, the chair instantaneously swiveled around, revealing a grizzly, roughly shaven man wearing a dark-gray male version of the uniform. He sipped from a simple cup filled with another of his experimental coffee, before locking eyes with her and said, "they are already behind you, Aisha"

The female officer quickly turned around and jumped slightly at the noiseless manner of approach of the blue hair and brown hair. This time, they were wearing a more formal but simple uniform with similar color to the uniform of the soldiers who secured the scene earlier on. On their shoulders were visibly seen an emblem of a black knight surrounded by a red background and the letters, D,A,R,T,H, embedded on it. Once the Commander stood up, the two stepped past female officer and saluted.

"As expected. Good job, boys" he started, "but, unfortunately, as much as I want to give you two time off, another crucial request came in"

He sat back down and flicked a switch from under his desk, causing the blinds of the windows to drop and darken the atmosphere. At the same time, a projection appeared up from the desk, and two chairs slid up from under the marble flooring.

"Your next mission will take place in Dublin, Ireland. The objective this time is protecting the targets" Waltfeld stopped for a brief moment, glanced at the two, and he switched the projection to display two individuals. At the same time, Aisha handed them each the documents which she had.

"I know neither of you have experience this type of task, but this mission was requested specially by Mr. Clyne and Lord Athha, two of the leading peace leaders in this troubling time. Therefore, this requires our best agents, and you two are my best agents. You will enroll as transfer students in the United International Institution of Dublin as of 0600 hrs GMT tomorrow."

When the projection of the mission briefing ended and the blinds retracted, Waltfeld spoke again, "Since you being aged 16 almost perfectly matches the targets', you probably won't have much trouble keeping them under sight. Our intelligence confirmed that there's at least a rogue group within the Institution who is bent on the assassination of the two targets. The rest is unknown for the time being. We will update you as soon as possible. One crucial matter to keep in mind; your identity cannot be known for fear of jeopardizing the mission. Neither student casualty by your action or the enemy can be tolerated. However, the top priority is the safety of the targets. Therefore, Kira, no trigger-happy. That civilian casualty of that female clerk had me in the necks by our superiors"

"I'm sorry, sir. It wouldn't happen in this mission" he apologized.

Waltfeld stared at them for a few seconds, let out a sigh of relief, and said, "I trust your judgments. Athrun, Kira, you have been thick and thin together for the past 12 years ever since I found you two. I probably would not meet you guys for sometime, so take care of yourselves…Dismissed."

The two sprang to their feet, saluted, turned, and left the room.

"I don't think I have the patience enough for this mission" started Athrun as he flipped through the pages of his mission documents.

Kira did the same and answered, "it's a change for once, instead of terminating all the time"

"I guess…" he softly replied, looking at the picture of a blonde in his document.

"What's wrong?" the blue hair asked, realizing that his partner, confidante, and friend suddenly became tense. "Nothing" the brown hair answered, closing his document containing a picture of his target objective.

* * *

"Times really have changed" said Waltfeld. Aisha came up behind and hugged him. "It's kids now that are doing adult jobs. How sad" 

"Well, it couldn't be avoided. The split world, which caused this dragged on conflict between ZAFT and EAF forced the use of children. That's why this organization, Deter Aggression by Rationalized Tactical Hardstrike, DARTH, was formed; to deal with inside threats from both sides. We act according to our view of truth and justice, uninfluenced by the world's twisted ideals."

"I keep wondering. Why did you take those two in? You could have killed them like you killed all the other children during that battle"

"I couldn't explain that myself. They have that eyes…Something was different about them. At that time, instead of running away, they took a stand against me. They made me realize that this ongoing conflict is useless and caused me to leave ZAFT for this organization."

"I could tell, Andy. You viewed them as you own, didn't you?"

"We raised them and named them, didn't we? Aren't they yours too?" he asked back.

Aisha only let out a breath, "we raised them…but did we do it right? I'm sometimes terrified by their abilities. Athrun's aggressiveness and leadership, and Kira's quietness and unpredictability make them somewhat extremely lethal at their age"

"Don't worry. Those two look out for each other. They are inseparable and complement each other. Athrun leads and Kira backs him up, and vice versa"

* * *

A civilian vehicle pulled outside a large complex of buildings surrounded by a beautiful green mountain range. Just outside its main gate, at which guarded by a security post, lay a skillfully craved limestone which says, "Welcome to the United International Institution of Dublin" 

After passing inspection, the car drove past a chain of fountains along a strip of road surrounded by gardens and yards. Waltfeld's right hand man, LaCosta, who have been driving Athrun and Kira from the airport, handed them each the school's ID card and their admission documents. "Good luck, guys"

The two nodded, exited the car, and took their baggage from the trunk of the car, before LaCosta sped off. They stared at the large, brown, closed entrance door to the schooling complex, and then to each other.

"Here we are…" started Kira.

"…let's finish this as quickly as possible" finished the other, as both took the first step into the entrance. Neither of them knew that this mission would conflict with their lives for this moment on…

* * *

AN: Well, that's basically the introduction. I hope it's satisfying and sorry if it's boring. I look forward to your much treasured reviews. Thanks for taking the time to read. I'll update soon, hopefully. 


	2. First Encounter

"I don't know if it's good or bad, but it's certainly good for this institution that we have an increasing enrollment rate…at least ever since her attendance" said a brown-haired lady.

Athrun and Kira could not help but to keep their eyes longer than they should be on her. Considering that this school looks well-aged and is so large, that it took them 15 minutes from the south entrance to the north administration office, they expected the administrator to be some old geezer, but instead, the headmistress is a beautiful young lady. Together with the kingdom-style uniform, she looked smart.

At a glance the two managed to scan the contents of the room. It was pretty simple 80 square feet room, painted plain white with wooden linings on the edges of the ceiling and the patterned-carpeted floor. Across the door, lay a furnished tan-colored willow table, coupled with two matching guest chairs and a larger, fancier one for the headmistress. The wall section behind it is window panes arranged in a Victorian style, overlooking stadium towards the east. The rest of the furniture consists of ceramic cabinets, shelves, and counters, along with several potted plants resting on them. Above the door is an exit light signal in which was installed a camera.

"Take a seat" she said, prompting the two to follow suit, "you guys sure were early. The rest of the school would probably not arrive for a couple of days...My apologies, let me introduce myself. My name is Murrue Ramius, headmistress of this institution. Nice to meet you, Mr…" she glanced over at the computer screen on her desk, "Zala, and Mr. Yamato"

Although those last names were just fabrication in official 'documents', they just nodded and smiled. "Do all new students have to go through this same procedure?" asked Athrun.

"As you presumed, yes. But by the looks of it, I'm sure the two of you are familiar with the rules and regulations of this school already. However, there are slight additions this year, which would be explained in these files" she paused, waiting for the printer to finish its task, "Well, that pretty much sums it up. You ought to get settled in to your respective dorms. Your belongings have been transported to the entrance of the room which I have assigned you to. I'm sure you would like to stay together, right?"

She handed Athrun a thick folder containing the essential materials. On the folder lay the school's official symbol. Although he had seen it before, the symbol on the folder seemed a little different. The hexagonal scheme and emerald background color are still the same, along with the standing scarlet armored griffins on the right and left side respectively, but a shield has been added to the left one and a sword on the right one along. The sparkles on the empty dark green space in between the two griffins have been switched to the outer area since the griffins are now back to back instead of facing each other.

"We will take our leave then, headmistress" said Kira, before he stumbled and fell onto the desk. Only Athrun caught Kira's unusual clumsy act; in that he planted one of DARTH's invisible tactical bug on the back of the computer monitor.

* * *

First Encounter

* * *

He walked past a large but empty living room that emits a soothing ambience. An elevator and a flight of stairs were set on the west end, while the east side contained a small recreation area with pool tables, arcade games, televisions, and some others. The corridor on the north side leads to a reading room and that leaves the south side to be the entrance. The dormitory building itself, assigned only to high school boys, was 10 floors high.

He climbed up to the 10th floor, entered through a door and headed east along the corridor which leads to dorm rooms. He slid his ID card across the reader of the door at the end of the corridor. Upon entering, he was met by several tangling cables all linking up to three paper-thin notebooks, and a compact parabolic antenna, in front of his roommate, who was sitting on the carpeted floor, facing the south-eastern balcony glass doors.

"The most dangerous place is the safest place" he said, dropping a heavy, bulky looking black bag into the closet, which is to the right of the door, and another bloated sporting bag onto one of the two beds facing the eastern windows. "Andy kept the items with the lobby counter of all places. Anyway, Kira, how's the progress?" He walked towards the expert programmer.

"Satisfactory. The school's database is now infected with undetectable trojans. Now we have unrestricted access to every information of any clearance level, all electronic-controlled equipments, including cameras" All this he said without stopping or slowing his fingers on the keyboards of the left and middle laptops. When he finally ended, the last command windows on three laptop screens disappeared and the school's infrastructure map took its place. From bottom to top, red regions were replaced until the whole map was covered with greens ones. "Done."

Kira's programming talent never ceased to amaze Athrun. Although Waltfeld said that the school's database is insanely protected, he still managed to hack into it. Just give the man a satellite connection, a link-up source and a notebook; he will be able to get past any protection. "Where are the target dorms?" asked the blue-hair.

"To the south of here; it's the high school girls' dorm building. There's nothing in between us except for the soccer fields and football courts. The two stays in the same room, which is facing us, on the 9th floor. Physical monitoring would be greatly eased this way" answered Kira as he connected a pair of glasses and a watch to the laptop, before standing up, stretching, and noticing the sporting bag on Athrun's bed. "Uniforms?"

Athrun slumped onto the bed and tossed him the bag. Kira, upon pulling out some of the contents, said, "I guess expensive schools needs expensive, fancy uniforms too"

"Yeah" the other replied as he looked over the selection of courses in which they, sophomores, are allowed to choose. "Don't worry about that" Kira said, "I have submitted your selection that matches Athha. It seems she likes physical, practical activities a lot"

"How's Cylne? Are her courses suited to your taste?" asked Athrun, which to his amusement, Kira flinched slightly. The latter sighed and said, "all are non-vigorous, such as computers, psychology, medical, instrumental music, except for two, cooking and home economics"

Athrun grinned at him and teased, "looks like the making of a good housewife, huh, Kira?" This comment made Kira's face turn a darker shade, "We cannot get involved emotionally with the targets. Remember Allster? That mission was almost compromised"

Athrun remembered that operation 3 years back, where the objective was to investigate the suspicion of treason of EAF diplomat, George Allster. His daughter got involved with Kira. She tagged along Kira whenever he was in view. During the conclusion of the mission, she almost walked in on him while he was hacking into the databank of the diplomat. He was about to silence her, but that involvement deterred him. Fortunately, Athrun created a distraction by triggering the fire alarm, but consequently, the computer forced shutdown itself, cutting the hacking short, and lengthening the duration of the mission.

* * *

The lake and its surrounding grassy field shone in response to the mysterious full moon's glow, with nothing to disturb their tame character, expect, for two shadows, which darted back and forth the trees. The sound of rapid footsteps grew louder by the second, until the two shadows clashed by the lake's side, followed by a chain of blows and parries.

"You've gotten a lot better, Kira" said Athrun as they backed away from each other. Kira just sniggered and resumed his jujitsu stance. Athrun followed suit with his karate stance before they lunged at each other again. The karate user performed a round-house kick which ended in a throw by the sparing partner. Athrun quickly regained himself and dashed back at him, this time feinting to the left before striking an elbow blow to the right. Kira rashly used his left upper arm to block such a strong blow, resulting in an instant numbness to his whole left arm. He backed off a distance, but Athrun kept going at him.

Kira expected him to throw a punch, but Athrun spun his body around the right of him, stepped on his right foot and swung a deadly karate chop to the back of the neck. Kira successfully delayed the chop by hitting Athrun's left abdomen, therefore granting him time to drop and sweep-kicked his sparring partner off the ground. As usual, Athrun quickly recovered before the two finally drew their pocket knifes and charged at each other. In a flash, one of the knives launched out of the combat zone. Kira was on the ground on his back, with his right fist on Athrun's face. However, Athrun had won the spar. His right foot had disabled Kira's left hand and the knife on his right hand was on Kira's throat.

A clapping immediately followed the end of the match. Athrun and Kira instantaneously got back on their feet and faced the source of the ovation. A man with a shoulder-length blond hair, Western facial features, and a pair of blue eyes, emerged under the moonlight. He was wearing one of the school's staff uniform, which Kira and Athrun recognized as the male version of the headmistress's.

"I was strolling around the park to catch some air, until some noise drew me here. You do know that students aren't allowed to be out past 10 am, right? Nevertheless, it was great, boys. You guys should represent the school on the Annual Martial Arts Meet," said the man, "oh…forgive me. I'm the superintendent of this Dublin Institution, Rau le Creuset. Nice to meet you…err?" he offered handshakes to both of them.

Athrun and Kira quickly introduced themselves, which to his surprise, that they were only high school students. "The world has so much different talents. That's why national diversity in this school is great, would you agree? Anyway, it's getting late. Don't get yourselves sick before the school starts" Creuset said, smiling, before walking away from them. They watched as the figure slowly sank under the shadows of the trees. In the database, Creuset is indeed the Superintendent; however, he was shown to wear a white eyemask, unlike the one they just encountered which resembled someone else. Suspicion immediately arose in each boy's minds.

* * *

A/N: I hope it's not too dragged out. This chapter is just basically showing Athrun's and Kira's specialty. Thanks for the reviews! 


	3. Beginning Complications

"It sure is getting cold" said Athrun as he sat at the foot of his bed, glancing out to the heavy rain outside while fiddling with various armaments from the black bag entrusted by Waltfeld. It consisted of 6 handguns, 4 semi-auto rifles, 2 heavy-assault rifles, 2 RPG launchers, 2 air-to-air shoulder missile launchers, several construction parts, flashbangs, many ammo clips and several rockets. Both boys loaded 2 handguns each, cocked and holstered them on the back of their waists. They each then put on the dark green/black coats bearing the school's emblem on the right chest.

"Nothing obvious" Athrun said as he glanced at the back of Kira's waist.

"Yours look fine too" said the other.

After putting off the coats, Kira ejected the magazines from the guns' handles, held them in his hands for a moment before tossing all four towards Athrun. Based on the lighter weight of the guns and of the magazine clips, the former are constructed free from metal attributes while the bullets loaded are DARTH's tranquilizer-gel blanks, which upon contact, broke apart and the gel in it vaporizes on the target's skin, rapidly entering and disabling their nervous systems.

Athrun went on to check the rest of the armament, a job which he enjoys most. Kira, on the other hand, went on to tidy the tangling cables of his three main laptops up, tucking them under the beds and on the edges of the floor. He then set the three and the antenna on the study table which is leaning against the west wall and beside his bed.

Athrun looked around as Kira finished. For the first time since his friend invaded the room, he finally managed to get a clear glimpse of the room's layout. It was a large enough 120 square feet room to accommodate a bathroom and shower, a closet, 2 single beds, a medium-sized study table, a bedside cabinet, and several square feet of walking space, excluding several more on the balcony. The bathroom is located on the right side right after the north entrance door with the closet directly opposite it. Athrun's bed is next the bathroom wall, followed by a cabinet, and then Kira's bed, with the study table to its side; all of them facing the east.

His way cleared, Athrun proceeded to set up a sniper rifle toward the south window. By the time he finished and managed to get a view across, Kira tossed him the sports wrist-watch he had programmed as a multi-functional device including a sensor for monitoring Athha's movements and voice. As for himself, he has a pair of large-lens glasses for tracking the other. "The watch and glasses are linked up to the system" he said as he switched the left laptop screen to audio mode of the room, and then the right one to video, and the last one to both.

"Cagalli, don't do that. You're going to catch a cold" said Clyne right on the moment both boys tested the devices' audio, which matches the laptop's. Upon testing the video reception, they abruptly turned it off due to a rather inappropriate scene. "…anyway, as long as Athha kept her watch on and Cylne, her hairpin, they would constantly be under watch" informed Kira to break the sudden silence.

Three days ago, at the day their targets first arrived in the complex, Athrun and he purposely bumped into them and planted the bugs on each of their most worn items. At that time, too, Athrun's predetermined outlook of Athha shattered into pieces. He expected that the princess of ORB would be gentle and nice, but he was almost kneed in between the legs by her. Kira, however, suffered a worst fate. By even daring to touch Clyne, he was bombarded by death glares and scorns from her adoring fans which kept tailing her a distance away. What a fine first step.

Though both of them knew that planting the monitoring devices in their room and the targets themselves would violate their privacy, it is imperative for the success of the mission. Furthermore, there's no reason to regret their actions as they had been doing this for countless times. "I sure hope we don't look like perverted peeping toms this way" said Athrun as he looks through the sniper scope towards the curtained glass doors of the target's room.

Kira shook his head in disbelief.

* * *

Beginning Complications

* * *

The whole Institution complex, being a school and a home altogether, provides breakfast, lunch, and dinner in the dining hall at the central sector. Since the school's breakfast is the most enjoyed meal of the day, the hall would be packed but more than enough to accommodate all students from grade school up to college.

Travels in between sectors are provided with a light-rail system. As an alternative, students are allowed to have bikes. However, only the best few could drive the school's small coupe electric cars, which is part of the school's new privilege in an attempt to ease travel between sectors. Only 400 out of 5000 middle school through college students, who scored the best scores in a safe driving test, which was conducted two days back, were granted a vehicle each; Athrun and Kira came in the last 2 places out of 400. Although both of them could easily occupy the first two places, they decided that by doing so would attract too much attention to themselves, and that isn't favorable.

"Each lesson period lasts 50 minutes with 5 minutes breaks in between to allow time to switch classes. Excluding the 10 minutes high school homeroom at the start of each day at 0700, sophomores have the first 3 periods together; English Literature, Algebra & Geometry, and World History. The rest of 7 lessons are mixed with other high school students. The day should end at 1700 the latest" briefed Kira as he read through the screen of another of his notebooks; it's a smaller, more compact version this time.

"Are you going to carry that around?" asked the driver at his side.

"It's easier and more practical to have a remote source like this. Signal reception between the three laptops and our devices will be greatly enhanced with this as the medium" replied the computer geek, as what Athrun calls him.

Kira brushed it off, brought up a map with 2 tiny yellow and pink dots each, and then a camera feed of the homeroom class where the targets were.

"As usual. She is surrounded" said Athrun, glancing at the screen. "You like her?" asked Kira, noticing that his friend had been acting strangely ever since he met her and whenever she's in view. "Wh-whatever made you think so? You said it yourself, 'don't get involved'. I stare at her because she's pretty. That's all" answered the driver in an unusually rapid pace.

* * *

The boys tidied their uniform, which consisted of a white long-sleeve collared shirt, dark green tie, black long pants, and coat, as they walked along the locker-filled corridor towards homeroom. "They are decent here, at least" Kira stated upon noticing the uniform of some girls. Unlike the current world trend of skimpy, short-skirted, indecent attire, the school's female uniform consists of less revealing dark green long-skirt and bluish white long-sleeve blouse.

Most of the students were already in the seminar room when the two entered. They stopped their chatter and stared at the two. It was not until both had taken their seats at the top end of the room that they resumed whatever they were doing. "About 1200 of them here" said Athrun, to which Kira agreed. A few moments later, the class fell silent again when a tall, short-haired, sloppily dressed blond man, followed by a red-haired girl, who caught Kira's attention, walked into the room.

After she sat down, the man started, "Well, it's the start of another curriculum, kids. I presumed you had a great summer. Believe we have a number of new additions to our high school this year. My name is Mu La Flaga, Dean of Students for this Institution's high school" he stopped to look at the computer screen to the side of the podium he's standing, "It's my custom that students under me get to know each other. So, where's Kira Yamato?" Kira stood up in response to the call, and all heads turned towards his direction. Athrun followed after, and another boy and 3 girls. "lastly, Flay Allster" said Flaga. Kira's and Athrun's heads snapped in the direction of the red-haired girl, who looked back at Kira in return.

"Well, that's that…I don't feel like doing anything on the first day, do you?" asked Flaga, which invited many approvals from the students, "but too bad this is school nevertheless, and you come here to study" The students groaned in return.

"The students seemed to like this joker of a teacher a lot" whispered Athrun, before Flaga resumed, "I might as well dismiss you early to your next class" he yawned, "I need to catch up on my sleep"

Athrun and Kira blinked in disbelief at Flaga. How could this school hire such a staff? Then, again, the students seemed to respect him and none dared to rebel. Maybe he's that type that likes to joke around but can turn extremely serious and strict at the right time.

As the rest of the high school exited the room, the red-haired girl approached the two, who pretended not to notice her.

"Kira, don't…" warned Athrun.

"Kira? Are you the same Kira?" asked Flay, catching Kira's right arm.

"…hey…" started Kira, stopping Athrun dead in his tracks.

He turned his head to see Kira almost say her name, but, fortunately, a spectacled, orange-brown haired boy cut in between them. "Come on, Flay. Let's go"

"Kira…" she said beneath her breath as the boy, whom both boys recognized Sai, a high school junior, led her away.

Athrun approached his friend. "Are you nuts? You almost blew your cover" he said, gritting his teeth in agitation.

"Sorry, Athrun. I, I wasn't thinking" Athrun let out a breath, threw his right arm on Kira's shoulder and let him out of the seminar room. "I wasn't expecting that either"

Kira suddenly stumbled on a round object and almost fell flat on his face. He turned around to find a pink ball laying on the floor. Upon touching it, the ball came to life, saying 'nice to meet you', 'Lacus', 'dammit' and 'Haro' all over again.

"Must be hers" said Kira, picking the ball up, before teasing Athrun again, "want to return this, Athrun?"

The other replied in an unusually rapid pace again, "wh, why me? You do it. You're responsible for her" Kira sniggered at him before planting another of the invisible tactical bug on the ball.

* * *

"Hey sophies! We meet again. I'm your World History instructor this year" said Flaga waltzing into the seminar room of 350 sophomores. "I wanna see your world history knowledge, so I'm gonna give you some easy warm-up questions before we get into the real thing, alright? First: what caused World War 1?"

"Assasination of Archduke Ferdinand" whispered Kira under his breath with his right elbow resting on the table and his chin on the fist, while his left hand is aimlessly punching the keys of the school's table laptop in front of him. Athrun knows that the behavior meant that Kira's bored with whatever he's doing. There was silence for a few seconds before a girl, whose voice both boys recognized as Athha's, yelled out the same answer as Kira.

"Name 2 opposing leaders of Cold War"

"Ronald Reagan and Mikhail Sergeyevich Gorbachev" whispered Kira again in an instant. Athrun grinned, nudged his friend, and said, "Show off smart-alex"

This time, rather than shouting out the answer, a hand shot up, and another girl, Clyne, answered similarly. Athrun suddenly became tense at the voice, which invited Kira to nudge and tease him back.

"Which 2 countries' established doctrines of human rights are similar?"

"American Declaration of Independence and French Declaration of the Rights of Man and the Citizens" whispered Athrun and Kira at the same time quickly, which made the latter scoff at the former.

"The gentlemen at the back" called Flaga, "you two seemed, preoccupied. Do you know the answer?" Some of the girls started giggling. Athrun and Kira sighed before answering the question.

"Wrong" said Flaga, making both boys' eyes wide and their chins drop. "Just kidding, you're right. Man, you should have seen your faces, haha" teased the strange teacher.

Athrun and Kira slumped back down on their seats while the rest of the class laughed at them.

* * *

The sunset's beautiful scarlet ray bathed the complex and its surroundings, a soothing light signaling the end of the day. As the natural lighting fades and was replaced by the moon, only 2 souls remained outside, accompanied by the dribbling sound of a ball.

"The day went well so far" said Athrun as he attempted to drive the ball past his comrade, who stuck his hand out and tipped the ball out of bounds.

"Yeah….so far there's no sign of trouble, except one" responded Kira, who rejected an attempted three-pointer.

"Creuset?" asked Athrun as he ran to retrieve the ball.

"Hmm" agreed the other.

"Athrun" said Kira, switching off his glasses' camera monitoring of the girls standing on the balcony and watching them play.

"Yeah?" asked the other, scoring a basket over his friend. "Tell me truthfully, do you like Cylne?"

The question made Athrun airballed another shot. "I don't know…maybe…but what I do know is that I cannot let emotions get in the way"

"Don't become like me…I thought I have gotten over Flay, but the incident earlier today…It scares me" said Kira, allowing Athrun to lay the ball up the basket. Both fell silent from then on as they concentrated on the game. Neither did they know that right at the moment Kira switched of the camera monitoring, that the girls talked about them.

* * *

Lacus and Cagalli sat down on their balcony chairs to watch the one-on-one basketball match at the court to the north-west.

"Those two, they seemed strange, don't they?" asked the blond.

"Really? Mr. Yamato seemed nice" replied the pink-haired, to which Cagalli responded in a frown and Lacus' pink ball started cursing.

"Haro, quiet. Don't say such things. Come here" Lacus said. Haro leaped from Lacus' bed to her hands.

"Be careful, Lacus. You're a famous celebrity. Guys just act nice in front of you to get close to you" warned Cagalli, looking at the ball which Kira returned her earlier during the day.

"…maybe…but I think I like him. What about you, Cagalli? You seemed to act strange since the day that you bumped into Mr. Zala. I also heard your classes are exactly the same as his, right? How was it?"

Cagalli started blushing and tried to defend herself but ended up stuttering. Lacus grinned at her innocence. When they focused their attention back to the basketball court, it was already empty, prompting both girls to settle in for the day.

* * *

A/N: Phew! I finally managed to state the first conflict of the story. How is it? Maybe I need to improve on it, huh? Thanks for the reviews. Looking forward to more feedbacks. 


	4. Imminent Threat

A shadow scaled up the building, shrouded by the lack of light of the new moon. Unknown to him, a gun nozzle trailed his movements. On the other side, another figure quietly approached the front of the room.

"Bogey approaching your position" whispered a voice over radio transmission to another figure hiding behind the darkness of the corridor. "10 seconds to contact" said the same voice, as he kept his vision through the scope of his rifle.

Meanwhile, the figure in cover remained motionless as footsteps went by him. He aimed at the passerby from behind as it started to pull out an object. At the same time, the sniper positioned his finger at the trigger of the gun as the target of his scope reached into a backpack while being suspended in mid air by a rope in front of the balcony of the room. He switched his crosshairs on the object being pulled out, magnified on it, before finally retracting his finger from the trigger and saying, "Abort, Athrun"

Unfortunately for him, the figure in hiding had already tranquilized the target and realized that the objects held were only a bunch of love letters intended to the occupants of the room. The person outside was also only leaving a stuffed animal meant for present. Kira fell back onto his bed and sighed. A few moments later, the blue-haired boy entered, dropped his gun, and collapsed on his own bed. Both then let out a loud breath at the same time.

"That's 21 false alarms in a row now" said Kira with his eyes still closed. His friend just mumbled on the covers in agreement.

"This one's good. He managed to disable the front door security for a few seconds. What did you do to that...one…inside?" asked Kira, slowly drifting into sleep.

"Hell with him. Rot there…" replied Athrun, angry at being so worn out, and suddenly fell into a dreamless world.

2 months had passed since the start of the school year. Things had been quiet and smooth until the past 3 weeks, when Clyne performed a song titled 'In this Silent Night' as part of the music class activity she and Kira are in. Ever since then, her mad fans, especially males, had attempted to sneak letters, presents, or other gifts onto her balcony or her doorstep. They could not do it clearly during the day because of the presence of Athha, who strictly defended her best friend from the males, even though some of the gifts are intended for her.

Furthermore, that concert ended in a disaster as 6 college juniors with raging hormones suddenly stormed the stage and attempted to grab the pink-haired songstress. Kira, who is playing as the violin accompaniment but hated being in the spotlight, and Athrun, who hated being in the dark and with huge crowds, got so agitated at the action that if it weren't for the disciplinary staff making the move first, Kira would have smashed his violin through the heads of the perverts and Athrun would have massacred them with the assault rifles previously stored in the area.

To make matters worse, most, if not all, of the teachers of their classes started giving loads of homeworks and projects which are more difficult than expected considering their grade level, as well as other social activities. Although both boys, who are elite coordinators who had graduated college at the age of 14, could easily cope with the tasks, the addition to their already lack of sleep is wearing their patience and concentration thin.

To top it all off, Athha had been trying to get close to Athrun, while Clyne secretly on Kira. Then, despite the school's non-bias policy of racism, conflict still ensued between Coordinators and Naturals. Those placed more pressure on the boys. Fortunately, since Kira found out that Flay had been engaged to Sai a year back, they now see less of each other, although Sai and the Clyne's admires are still scorning him behind his back. On the other hand, Athrun started to feel himself slowing splitting into two between Clyne and Attha, who as time passes seemed to be gentler and more feminine towards him, especially starting from the moment when she sprained her right ankle during their 5th day Track and Field class and Athrun gave her first aid bandaging.

* * *

Imminent Threat

* * *

"What's wrong, Kira? You seemed rather down these days" asked Tolle, Kira's new friend he met in the Computer Literacy class. Kira just shook his head and smiled at him without saying anything as both, later joined by Tolle's girlfriend, Milliaria, left the computer lab at the end of the period.

"Kira" called a female voice behind him as he reached into his locker to get the cooking text book for the next class.

He turned his head to see a pink ball launching itself onto his face, which he managed to catch with his right hand. Upon letting the hand down, he expected to see the owner.

"I don't really understand that lesson earlier on, would you teach me?" she asked shyly. Kira, being tired himself, wanted to decline but a request by someone like that is hard to refuse. She sprung up the moment Kira agreed, and the two proceeded to the kitchen.

This is the only class Kira hated. He is the only boy there and he could not cook! Most cooking tasks assigned by the teacher, Ms. Ramius, ended up in either a chunk of charcoal or an alien blob. Fortunately, the headmistress grades students based on their effort and not the success of it, so Kira's scores are not that bad, while Lacus' still the best chef in the whole class. This class was also the only time he's seen flustered, a behavior which some girls, including her, seemed to like.

Everyone continued working on their next task which is cooking a sweet-and-sour dish. Things had been going as normal as usual until Kira noticed a puff of gas unusually coming out of the pipe behind the dead stove in front Lacus, with her trying to ignite the flame.

"Stop. Watch out!" Kira shouted, dashing towards her, and throwing her to a safe spot at the same time the spark created an explosion which sent him and several cooking utensils flying and slamming onto the opposite wall which is 12 ft away and on which hung other utensils. All the girls started to scream and ran out of the kitchen just as the fire alarm went off. Kira heard two distinct female voices calling him before he blacked out.

* * *

The silver, bob-haired boy threw a flurry of punches at the blond girl, forcing her to the edge of the arena line. However, her nimble body allowed her to slip behind the bigger-sized male and gain time to recover herself.

"Dearka!" shouted the boy, prompting another tanned-skinned blond boy to unfairly gang up on the girl. One of the two instructors of martial arts class, Ms. Natarle Badgiruel was about to stop the spar when Flaga, the other instructor, stopped her.

Dearka was about to strike her from behind when at the nick of time, Athrun jumped in, blocked the punch and swung his leg to the side of his opponent, sending him sprawling across the sparring mat.

"Athrun…" said Cagalli when she realized what had happened.

"Ouch…Yzak, you called me to my doom" remarked Dearka, who stood back up while rubbing his left cheek, which is riddled with mat marks.

Athrun and Cagalli stood back-to-back in response to the pincer by Yzak and Dearka.

"You know, ganging up on a girl is what you call cowardly" taunted Athrun, to which all the other students responded in 'hoooo's and 'haaa's.

"Shut up, bastard! Don't tell what I can't do" replied the angered Yzak while charging recklessly at Athrun.

On the other side, Dearka followed his cue and charged at Cagalli. Athrun, who was still irritated and tired at the time, effortlessly evaded a hook punch before slamming his fist into the cave of Yzak's ribs, producing several cracking noise and knocking out the victim.

Following the thud of Yzak's body hitting the mat, the whole gym was silent. All wide eyes were on Athrun, who at the time staring at Dearka to see whether he would dare attack Cagalli. Although he knew that the aggression wasn't necessary, those two senior bullies need to be taught a lesson sometime. He and Kira looked over practically every student's records, and the worst was the two's. They should have been expelled last year, but they were merited by their above average academic scores and their participation as well as representation of the school in various activities.

This time, Flaga stepped in to stop the fight. He quickly swung the limp body of Yzak over his shoulder and rushed out of the gym. Meanwhile, Natarle was about to give Athrun and Dearka both a lecture and a detention when suddenly the fire alarm rang. All the students were evacuated out of the gym, which is next to the main high school building. Cagalli continued staring at, and blushed when, Athrun grabbed her and led her out.

* * *

"_A song? What song? Listen…I recognize it. It sounded so familiar. That scent too…who is it?"_

Violet eyes opened slowly, suddenly squinting from the direct ray of the moon. He soon adjusted his vision to the dark atmosphere, noticing that he's in a hospital room of some sort. Pain can still be felt on his back. His nose and ears still caught the scent and the song. He moved his eyes to the source and found a pink-hair resting her head on the side of his bed with his right palm as her pillow while facing him with her eyes closed and humming 'In this Silent Night'. The moon's light made her fair skin glow as like an angel.

For the first since he met her, he realized how pretty she was, and how at peace he felt whenever she's around. He continued staring at her and tried to pet her hair with his other hand, but hesitated midway. His, as well as Athrun's, career prevents such involvements to last; the reasons being that it will hinder their optimal performance, the jobs will send them to far away places including space colonies, and they could die at any time. Besides, how would she act when she found about the truth? Nevertheless, he continued staring at her until her lullaby placed him to sleep. Athrun watched at the two through the hospital's room camera, his heart feeling as if it was thrown at 100 miles per hour.

* * *

Kira awoke at the chirping of the birds outside, with Athrun on the chair next to his bed, looking at him and the bandages all over his body and forehead. "It's been 2 days. How are you feeling?" he asked, smiling at his friend.

"Not to bad. Sorry, should have been able to avoid it" Kira replied, "I'm causing too much trouble now"

"Don't worry about it. Just concentrate on getting well" Athrun stopped for a moment, "but it's good to know you're alive, partner"

Kira smiled back at him before realizing something. After Athrun assured that the camera has been disabled, he asked "Where are the guns?"

"Fortunately, they slid under the rubble of twisted metal. I recovered them" replied Athrun, to which Kira let out a sigh of relief. Neither of them knew a red-haired girl was eavesdropping on them through the slightly open door of the room.

"So what are you going to do with her now?" the blue-hair asked.

"Continue what we have been doing. Protect the targets until further orders from Andy" answered the other, "don't worry, Athrun. I won't try anything that would make Clyne come closer than where she's at presently. I'm sure you would do the same to Athha, right? I don't want us to hurt any of them, whether directly or not"

The red-haired girl rushed from the door, covering her mouth with her hands with tears rolling down her cheek. She entered into the stall of the female bathroom, curled herself on the toilet seat and started to sob while remembering the times 3 years ago. Then, she mumbled, "coordinator, you betrayed my father…I hate you"

* * *

A/N: To assure my fellow K/L fans, I won't make Flay and Kira a couple. That was my whole point from the first. Thanks a bunch! Hope to see more reviews. 


	5. Widened Rift

"Alright, that's it! Tell me what's wrong" screamed Cagalli, barging into the door of her room and stomped towards the person sitting on the balcony.

Lacus switched her attention from the night sky to her friend.

"The teachers told me your grades have been steadily declining since the past week. You refuse to participate in social activities. And you hair is getting messy by the day" bombarded the brash princess before she knelt down beside her friend and held her hand, "please don't let that idiot ruin your life"

"Thank you, Cagalli. I'm fine. Just had something on my mind, but I assure you, it's not him" replied the other.

Cagalli was about to be convinced as she turned to leave for the bathroom when Lacus suddenly said, "Maybe I should get him a present"

"You told me once that Mr. Zala in your class is great at making complicated machines. Do you think I could ask him to make me something?" she asked, to which Cagalli flinched.

"Of, of course. You don't have to ask me for permission to ask him" she replied nervously.

Lacus smiled and bade her goodnight upon her approval.

"You are that in love with him, huh?" she whispered to herself as she watched her friend settle in.

* * *

Widened Rift

* * *

"Shouldn't you be moving around?" asked a female voice behind him, which he recognized as Flay's.

"I'm fine now" he replied. "Really, I'm glad. But how long those bandages have to be on?" she approached and touched the bandaged part of his back, which made him tense slightly.

Somehow, after he was hospitalized, that girl from his past suddenly entered his life again. For the past week, she had been visiting him, bringing him food, and feeding him. Kira could not resist as a part of him still feel for her, though sometimes another came into his mind. However, the longer he spent with Flay, the smaller the thought for the other became.

"Why do you do this? I thought you are engaged?" asked Kira turning towards her.

She looked surprised at first but soon smiled and said, while getting closer to him and taking off his glasses, "That was just our parents' arrangement by word of mouth. It's nothing compared to my love for you…"

Kira was caught off guard by her sudden action. He should have been able to push her away, but that familiar taste of her lips pushed him to return the kiss, safe from the surveillance of the disabled camera.

* * *

Athrun exited his vehicle and dashed across the snow-covered road, before shaking his school cloak off the snow flakes while standing under the shelter of the building's porch. Since Ireland experience seasonal weather, the school uniform varies differently, consisting of 3 types for spring and autumn together, summer, and then winter. The basic clothing of the collared shirt, tie and pants are still the same, but instead of the coat, boys could wear a forest green, emerald striped, v-neck sleeveless sweater together with a dark green, hooded cloak during winter periods. Girls' uniform is still the same, but they can choose to wear a pale green long-sleeved sweater and the same cloak.

He ran along the student-packed corridor before being stopped by a figure, which stood in his way.

"Hey you, I want a rematch-" said the figure, only to get stopped short by a response, "sorry, don't have time for you" as he brushed past him.

Laughter soon followed the interaction between the two.

"He sure didn't care about you" said Dearka, approaching his shaking buddy, who suddenly screamed out loud, while trashing about, "THAT BASTARD! I'M GONNA MAKE HIM PAY FOR IGNORING ME!"

Dearka suddenly backed away from him.

"What? What's wrong?" asked Yzak, looking at his pale friend, who pointed to the back of him. Yzak turned around and stared right into a pair of purple eyes belonging to a certain black-haired lady.

"Mr. Joule. Detention tonight for cursing, screaming, and trashing in public" said Ms. Badgiruel, the high school's Disciplinary Mistress.

Dearka started cracking-up when she finished, only to get shut-upped by her saying, "Mr. Elsman. Want to accompany him?"

Dearka suddenly straightened up, saluted and said, "No, ma'am. I'm sorry, ma'am"

As soon as Natarle walked a distance away from them, Yzak, thinking that she wouldn't hear, whispered, "Stupid woman" However, that didn't escape the Mistress' superb hearing. She stopped in her tracks and shouted back, with her back still at him, "Yzak Joule! Community service for offending a school official! One month garbage duty!"

This time, all the other students, who had been watching the scene, burst out laughing uncontrollably, with some of them banging their fists on the lockers, rolling on the carpeted floor, and choking from laughing too much. Yzak fumed as he watched them. Dearka ran away from his friend as far as possible upon noticing that he's about to blow up.

Then, suddenly, "SHUT UP! ALL OF YOU!"

* * *

"Kira," Athrun approached his friend, who is at his locker, "someone's been trying to get into our system. Look at this log"

Kira read the activity history, frowned, before finally saying, "Don't worry. It's just a glitch. I'll fix it later"

Athrun persisted when suddenly a girl's voice called Kira's name.

"Come on, let's go, Kira" she said, wrapping her arms around Kira's, "I just got the approval to switch classes. Now we can see more of each other."

Athrun stared at them in disbelief as they left and turned the corner of the corridor. He was about to chase after them when Cagalli called him.

"Athrun, there's still time before the first class starts. You want to go grab a bite?" she asked.

Athrun agreed, prioritizing his mission first.

"Where's Lacus?" he suddenly asked, causing Cagalli to feel sick.

"She's still back at the room. Need to tidy herself up. Why?"

"Just wanted to tell her that the thing she asked me to do will be done soon" he replied, looking down on the floor.

* * *

From that day on Lacus watched painfully as Kira and Flay get closer by each passing day. Usually, he would be looking at her whenever she turned to look at him during classes. Now, not to mention ignoring her, he rudely brushed her away when she tried talking to him. He also seemed to become distant from interaction to any of his friends. Even Athrun himself rarely sees him around, with him not being back to sleep every night like he used to.

When Athrun investigated, he was shocked to realize that he had been staying with Flay. Furthermore, that was not the only thing he found out. Lacus, on the other hand, just kept quiet about her feelings, with Cagalli only lukewarmly caring about the matter, until that fateful weekend. The songstress was strolling around the school's lake on the misty Sunday morning when she came across Kira, Flay, and another spectacled boy which she heard to be Flay's fiancée.

* * *

"Hey, Athrun! Long time no see. How are you?" asked Waltfeld, "I guess, since you forced your way into HQ's connection network, something must be up. Where's Kira?"

"He is the problem, commander" saluted Athrun before he proceeded in explaining the current situation.

"I see..." commented Waltfeld.

"He had been neglecting his duties since the past 17 days. Fortunately, no attempt on the target has been detected" concluded the younger.

"Do you have evidence that the suspect is indeed behind all this?" Waltfeld inquired, putting down his cup of coffee.

"Yes, sir" replied Athrun confidently.

Waltfeld looked at him seriously and said in a low voice, "Very well, I will issue the EI. You have permission to take down the suspect…discreetly"

Athrun saluted before Waltfeld cut off the connection.

Suddenly, at the same time, bangs on the door ensued, prompting Athrun to shut the laptops' monitor down and cover all their armaments. Upon opening the door, he came face-to-face with a flustered-looking Cagalli.

"Ath, Athrun! Help. It's Lacus. She has locked herself inside the room. I can't get in" Cagalli said, in between breaths.

He quickly exited the room, ran downstairs and towards the girls' dormitory building, with Cagalli tagging along behind him. He tapped on the door and called Lacus' name but no one answered. He tried Cagalli's ID card but the room's passcode has been changed.

"Cagalli. Go to the first car parked on the left of the boys' dorm front porch. Inside is a laptop. Bring it here" ordered Athrun, throwing her the vehicle key.

He watched as she disappeared into the elevator, before drawing his wrist-watch close to the ID reader. Pulling out a string-width cable, he attached it to a plug on the side of the reader, and pressed the buttons on the side of the watch. A few seconds later, the light on the reader turned from red to green. He turned the handle of the door and stepped into the room.

"Lacus?" he called, not seeing anybody from his current point of view.

The bathroom and the closet, which are located inversely as the boys', larger and more femininely colored, are empty. 2 twin-single beds beside the bathroom wall and separated by a study desk are empty. The first bed he passed is green and yellow colored, indicating that Cagalli's the owner, while the other is pink, red, and light blue oriented.

As he went closer, the silent but discernable cry grew louder until his eyes caught the pink-hair, all curled up beside her bed.

"Lacus…"he said, stepping closer to her and kneeling down in front her.

She realized who is it and attempted to wipe her tears away but more came out.

"Tell me what happened, would you? I will help to the best of my ability" he assured her, trying to catch a glimpse of her face, which she hid between her knees. She, being an honest and naive person, told Athrun the truth.

He gasped in shock at the last phrase she said. She, unable to hold on, threw her face on Athrun's chest and started crying again. Cagalli, who had been listening to all of this outside the door, watched Athrun hug her friend and started to comfort her. She slumped down beside the doorframe, dropped the laptop, and curled up while feeling tears welling up her eyes. By now, Athrun's insides had been boiling to its terminal tolerance level. He swore he's going to deal with it.

* * *

The sky grew darker by the minute, with the clouds hindering the sun's ray. Two figures stood at the side of the half-frozen river of the northwestern sector of the institute's complex. The slimmer of the two snuggled closer to the taller one.

"Kira, tell me the last code for that, will you?" she pleaded, bringing her face closer to his, with her hand holding a knife behind his neck.

The boy couldn't think straight, much too insinuated by the female. He was about to spill the beans when suddenly a gun fire echoed through the silent trees surrounding the scene.

Blood splattered out of the red-haired head, making the other suddenly snap out of his trance, focus his eyes, and gasp upon seeing the shocked face of falling person in front of him, as in slow motion. He quickly grabbed her limp body before it collapsed onto the snowy field.

"Who…what…" he stuttered, gently shaking her limp body.

A voice came from behind saying, "Termination Code 2, Level 3-"

Suddenly, a scream could be heard nearby, followed by random, rapid footsteps of someone scrambling away. However, another shot was fired, and a slush of a body falling on the ice was heard thereafter. Kira turned his head to see Sai's dead body at the foot of the tree 15 ft away, and said in a bitter tone, "Athrun…why"

The blue-haired boy emerged from the shadows, looking coldly at the brown-hair, while putting his right hand, which is holding the gun, down to his side. "Permission to eliminate any and all dispensable materials" he continued, throwing him a disk bearing DARTH emblem on its front, "enforced by **E**xecutive **I**ntervention order for the use of extreme measures"

Kira grabbed a handful of snow and flung it at the blue-hair, while screaming, "Why did you do that!"

Athrun was distracted by the high-velocity snowball, while Kira charged at him rashly.

"You…all of people! I thought you knew me!" he shouted, grabbing Athrun's right hand and attempted to disarm him.

"That's why I do this, because I KNOW YOU, FOOLISH CRAP!" Athrun shouted back at him, jabbing the side of his torso with his left fist, before flipping him against a tree to his side.

Kira slammed face on onto the tree trunk and slumped down with his back on the snow.

Athrun tossed at his face a folder, from which various photographs of Flay taking advantage of him and different disks containing video and log evidence fell out. Tears started to roll down Kira's cheeks.

Athrun looked at him in disgust, saying, "You spineless piece of filthy rag. By just sleeping with such a female turned you into a puppet"

He grabbed the brown-hair by the collars, stared into his clouded eyes and hissed, "You would betray the whole organization just for a piece of rubbish who wanted to kill you. Are you blind? There's someone else better, but you gave in to this one. You dirty lowlife!" he swung his fist onto Kira's right cheek, sending him a few feet across the snow with a bloody nose.

Athrun stood back up, watching the pitiful excuse of his friend cry in agony. Several DARTH operatives approached him from behind.

"What now?" one of them asked.

"Clean up the mess and secure this idiot here. The Commander will deal with him" Athrun ordered.

As couple of the agents dragged Kira pass him, Athrun said, "you know of an undetectable backdoor to DARTH's mainframe, but you told her the most obvious way of infiltrating it instead. If it weren't for that small portion of sense left in you, I would have killed you"

* * *

"You still want to give him that?" asked Cagalli, looking sadly at her friend, who is sitting on her bed with a small, neatly wrapped box on her hands.

"I'm an idiot, I know…But if he refuses this, I will give up trying from then on"

"Lacus…" Cagalli whispered, angered but at the same time impressed by Lacus' forgiving traits, knowing that she could never be like her friend, "cheer up, alright? The school's going to the Alps for our Christmas Holiday. The others would be sad to see you so down, especially during that time."

Lacus hugged her and expressed her gratitude for having such a friend, making Cagalli fell guilty about the things she had done between Athrun and her friend.

* * *

The computer in front of the man beeped, prompting him to draw his attention to it. The lights in the room were not off and the blinds were closed, consequently darkening the room and hiding his face. However, upon reading the message on his computer screen, the outline of his lips curved slightly.

"So it failed…No matter, there are other ways" the man said, chuckling to himself.

* * *

A/N: (Argghhh! I can't re-upload a corrected version because the server's overloaded…Anyway) Phew. How's that? Bad? So-so? Tell me, alright? Now that all the outside interference are gotten rid of, I can concentrate on the 4 characters. Feedback welcomed! 


	6. Irregular Consequence

"Report, Aisha?" he asked, joining her side in front of the tinted windows of a balcony overlooking a comprehensively-medical equipped room.

She straightened up from leaning on the railings behind the panes, saluted, and replied, "His mental activity is still fluctuating randomly...Looks like he's having a war inside. Poor boy, he was in a lot of pain just now, trashing around like a madman, but he seemed to have calmed down for now, physically at least"

Waltfeld's facial expression remained worried as he watched the brown-hair sweating and his eyeballs moving rapidly under his eyelids.

Aisha approached the computer on the right side of room, sat down, and brought up images, statistics and texts, before explaining, "We found some traces of Hypnochronomorphine in his blood system. This recently utilized drug penetrates and disables, or in worst cases, erases, the thinking-sense part of the brain, therefore sending the victim into a so-called 'dummy' state. This liquid agent is most commonly transferred by mouth, or in Kira's case, that and sexual intercourse. We had been having reports of the usage of this hazardous biological agent by both ZAFT and EAF, but it's the first time that one of our guys fell prey to it. None of the victims known have managed to regain their personality and was always in constant pain when deprived of further use, even with a small dosage. From the calculation of the drug's discharge rate from the body and the present status, we concluded that Kira's contamination level was 3 times the normal level, and that alone would have killed him but he held out and retained his sense, although some of his memory might have been erased, except…" Aisha paused, "when we probed into his mind, some of his memory cells have been wiped out except for a rather obvious one which surfaced quite clearly. He stored a memory of the target, Lacus Clyne, in that part where his common sense remained…That was unexpected"

Waltfeld started to rub his unshaven chin. "…I wonder…If our mission was only a dud, and whoever is behind this is actually targeting us. Not knowing the truth, Athrun packed Kira hard when he realized Clyne was affected by the knowledge about Kira sleeping with Allster, who was, at the time, made use of by someone. Then Attha seemed to be concerned by Athrun's caring to Clyne, and Kira kept Clyne in his mind to keep himself sane…complicated but we can use this affection factor to lure this guy in…convince him that we are unaware of his act…hmmm…" he said, raising his left eyebrow.

Aisha jumped up from her seat. "Andy, you don't mean to get those two involved, do you? Our mission is to protect them, not throw them in. Are you also saying that Lord Uzumi and Mr. Clyne intent to expose us? If so, then those two would betray them, not help them-" Waltfeld closed her lips with his index finger.

"I don't think Uzumi and Siegel are behind this. They are not the type that would afflict their precious daughters in this affair. They contacted me earlier on, stating their concern about the current flow of the mission, with Kira being out. So, I sent DaCosta to sub for him during their Davos snow activity in Graubünden, Switzerland," he looked back down towards the brown-haired boy still struggling in his sleep on the bed in the middle of the room, surrounded by various medical monitoring devices, "There's another entity that's aware of our existence and they succeeded in luring our best agent and almost infiltrated our mainframe. I intent to lure that sneaky slime back using this opportunity which has surfaced so conveniently. Aisha, our priority is to sustain the integrity of DARTH. We had made enemies throughout these years by operating against and for EAF and ZAFT. If they were to realize us, we would have no means of defense and our allies within the enemy will be prosecuted"

"But, Athrun and Kira cannot afford to fall in love…they would be bogged down by that burden or even worse" she complained again, only to be held around the waist and drawn close to the Commander.

"It's too late, don't you think? Our boys already had feelings for one or both of them. Besides, they're about that right age for relationships. If anything happens, I believe their judgments to handle it. The only problem now is whether Kira's mind is damaged in anyway…" he whispered into her ears, sending shivers down her spine as she forced an answer, "he…should be waking up…18 hours…you can check…later…"

* * *

Irregular Consequence

* * *

"Come in" said the headmistress upon hearing the knocks on her door.

She waited for a moment but no one opened the door. Then the knocks resumed. She bade the person in again, but still no response came until another series of knocks continued. She grew annoyed and shouted, "Come in and settle whatever rubbish you have with me! If not, get lost! I'm busy!" The door suddenly flung open and a blond man walked in, apologizing profusely.

"I should have known it was you. Your pranks were never funny" she remarked, looking at him with irritation and continued upon seeing him sit down, "I didn't offer you seat, Mr. Flaga"

He stood back up and whined, "give me a break, Headmistress. I was desperately bored. My highschoolers have been gone for 4 days now. Why can't the school send me? I could use the vacation"

"Don't ask me. Ask the Superintendent. He worked it out with Dublin Schoolboard regarding this elementary school through college Christmas activity…sit down" she finally offered, "personally, this matter was quite strange. He announced the plan right before the day three students were simultaneously gone. The Yamatos requested for their son's temporary leave, while the Allsters and the Argyles withdrew their kids; all this happened on the same day. We never had this incident before"

Flaga, who was looking at the pencil he had been twirling around his fingers, glanced briefly at her before saying, "I'm sure that's just a coincidence. Besides, that set a new record for our school, right? Don't think too much into it…Anyway, so I can't go to visit them, even for a little while?"

She sighed, "I was going to keep this a secret, but the teachers are scheduled to join them on Christmas Eve, 3 days from now"

"Whoohoo, yes!" he cheered before leaning towards Murrue and holding her hands, "I can imagine us taking a romantic stroll around the Davoser See"

Murrue quickly retracted her hands and said, "That lake is frozen, idiot. Besides, I would never go out with a teacher" to which Flaga replied, "Good, that's fine by me."

She looks at him in surprise, "Are you telling me you don't want your job? Cause I can fire you right now"

The colors drained out of Flaga's face as he pleaded, "Ehh? No no no no no! I was just kidding"

* * *

Shouts of fun could be heard throughout the valley of Davos. Though the sun rarely appears during cold winter seasons, that low temperatures hardly deprive people of all ages from enjoying the hard but beautiful snow. Some students are ice skating on the frozen lake to the east of the Davos resort, some are enjoying the snowy mountain slope to the north, some are having fun at the mountain feet, and some are simply staying indoors beside the fire's warmth.

"Athrun, watch out!" warned Cagalli, as a snowball homed in on the blue-hair.

Athrun ducked behind the snow wall stretching across his front. On the other side 20ft away stood another wall which serves as a shield for the opposing team. They were having a high school vs. college snowball last-team-standing fight, not for fun, but for a bet; the loser will have to play a rude prank on the teachers who will be coming later in the afternoon and risk getting punished. The high school team has been faring pretty well under Yzak's and Athrun's fierce competition, therefore fueling the others to perform as well, until Athrun was distracted by a pink-colored figure and felt a cold blow to his forehead, causing him to fall backwards.

"Ha! Sucker!" taunted Yzak, but his words fell onto deaf ears as Athrun ignored him and instead recalled Waltfeld's words, about Kira's plight, about the threat on DARTH, about Clyne's and Athha's feeling towards each boy, and about what sustained Kira's mind.

* * *

Lacus smiled as she sat and watched the small number of the younger elementary kids waving at her and playing on the snowy area near the snowball battleground. She enjoys being around them as much as they enjoy being around her. During school days, only college students can select a course which involves children and since Lacus is still in high school, she and the kids can only meet during certain times of the year such as vacations like this. Therefore, they would stick around her whenever opportunity arises.

"Mr. DaCosta, I know my father send you to watch over me, but I don't feel too comfortable being followed around even though he told you declare yourself as my bodyguard" Lacus said to the person behind her as she stood up.

"Pardon me, Ms. Clyne, but it's my job and to tell you the truth…if anything happens to you, I won't get paid" he replied, to which Lacus chuckled at his quickness at twisting the conversation.

She started walking towards the playing area and asked the children, "does anyone wants to ride the cable cars?"

They started running towards her and shouted in agreement.

"Please leave us alone for a while" she said back to DaCosta, who nodded but kept following them a few cars behind up to the near summit of the mountain, until the electricity current suddenly stops, followed by the darkening of the sky.

* * *

Waltfeld and Aisha stared in shock at the brown-hair as he blinked and moved his head about.

"…why…all dark…?" he asked.

"Aisha, what happened?" Waltfeld asked in succession.

She approached Kira and waved her hand in front of his eyes. "Can you see this?" she asked to which Kira shook his head. She told him to close his eyes before she pressed on them gently and asked whether he could feel it, and he replied yes. She went on to shine a lab flashlight into his pupils. "How about now?" she asked again but Kira replied negatively.

Suddenly, a transmission interrupted them, "Commander, pardon the intrusion but Father Malchio has arrived on the base and is on his way to your position. Err…he should be there already"

At the same time he finished, the door slid open and in walked the pale, black-haired man holding a walking stick in his right hand. Waltfeld and Aisha quickly straightened up and saluted.

"Founder, I apologize. I didn't expect to see you here now" Waltfeld said.

"Don't worry about it" he replied, before walking towards Kira, "I wish to speak to him privately for a while"

The two left and, at Malchio's request, dimmed the lights of the room.

"Can you tell me your name?" asked Malchio, taking a seat on the chair beside the bed.

Kira replied satisfactorily.

"Good. Just close your eyes for a moment…" he told him, "then try to tell me all the people you remember"

Kira did as told and mentioned Waltfeld's, Athrun's, Lacus', and Flay's names, leaving out Aisha's, Malchio's and the rest of the people he knew. The older man sighed in relief as he continued, "You are protected, boy. You cannot die yet. That's why you survived dangerous situations time and again, and that caught my attention. It's strange but I finally felt your Superior Evident Evolutionary Destined-factor manifests. That special thing is what sustained you, but it has a drawback if the danger to its Holder is so great that it could not handle on its own. In your case this time, it took some of your 'more dispensable' memory and sight to compensate…almost similar to what happened to me" he whispered that phrase to himself, "…Tell me, Kira, do you see flashes of scenes you have never seen before?"

Kira nodded.

"A violet rock breaks?"

Kira nodded.

"When you wake up, do you see a white screen, followed by gray, and then pitch black?"

Kira nodded again. "Open your eyes now and look around"

Malchio finally said.

He hesitantly lifts his eyelids and at once perceived his surroundings clearly even through the dim lighting.

"Glad your state is not as bad as mine. Your sight is temporary degraded, making you very sensitive to light, that's all. If the threat to your survival were any worst, you might have lost it" he said, standing up.

"But…how did you know all this?" Kira asked.

"I have experienced it before, my boy," Malchio paused for a moment while still facing him before continuing,

"I think it's no harm showing you, but this will only be between us, understand?" He waited for Kira's positive reply before proceeding to open his own eyes. Kira stared wide eyed at seeing his dilated black pupils.

* * *

Several soldiers bearing the OMNI emblem on the shoulder of their uniform stood ground while holding part of the Institute's students at gunpoint in the lobby of the resort's main building, while some other soldiers held various students hostage in different lodges of the valley. Outside, an unexpected blizzard raged on, covering tanks, helicopters, vehicles, and Strike Daggers in coats of snow.

Athrun kept himself low among the other students since the soldiers stormed their vacation place 5 hours ago. He tried transmitting to DaCosta, but the severe weather prevented any connection whatsoever, let alone trying to pinpoint his and Clyne's location. He didn't dare to take any action for fear of putting the other students in danger, and to make the situation more nerve-wreaking, the enemy still hasn't declared their purpose for the invasion, and all the teachers, who were seized for no apparent reason, hasn't returned.

"What is your motive for doing this?" demanded Murrue who, along with Flaga, Natarle, Mardock, and several school staff, was restrained onto a chair inside the cabin of a VTOL transport plane parked on the open space between the lake and the resort.

A blond, eccentrically-groomed man wearing a light-blue suit, who is seated on the other side of the cabin answered, "You have been running your mouth for 2 hours asking the same questions. Don't you feel tired at all?"

Flaga clenched his fist, which are tied to his back, so hard that his knuckles turned white when he heard this. Then, a cold gust of icy wind blew in when a soldier opened the door and stepped into the cabin. He approached the blond man and whispered something into his ears which clearly enraged the man as he stood up and hollered at the soldier, "Whatever were you doing, incompetent fool? Find them no matter what. Use those three if you have to. I don't want to hear useless report like that again. The next time you come in, I expect to hear good news. If not, off with your head!"

The soldier gulped and saluted before rushing back out. "erhm…I'm sorry for my behavior. It certainly is difficult having such stupid subordinates, wouldn't you agree?" he tidied his suit and sat back down.

Flaga and the others were by now convinced that they are dealing with a powerful but crazy nutcase.

* * *

Several tens of miles up the Davos Mountain, a section of the cable car line had collapsed, caused by strong, icy wind bending the support tower beam. To a certain degree of ironic coincidence, Lacus and the children are the ones trapped inside the fallen cable cars. Fortunately, she was able to calm the 10 kids in the same car as her down, while the other 12 children in the car behind are still panicking. She tried going to them but the winds made it impossible.

"I'm scared" said a little brown-haired girl, as she clutched onto Lacus' jacket sleeve.

"Don't be, Renee…Just think about your friends on the other car. They must be even terrified that we are. Be strong for me and for them, alright?" Lacus smiled at her and continued singing her 'Mizuno Akashi'.

"This is bad, really bad" DaCosta said, slamming the monitor of his standard issue DARTH's multifunction cell phone close, "no reception, no signal, no radar"

He then noticed the cracks on the window of the car he's in, "uh-oh…this thing's not gonna last in this weather…"

He scratched his head in puzzlement before recalling Waltfeld's briefing. Taking out a pocket map of the area from his pocket, he scanned it for the nearest strategic place to seek shelter in.

"Phew…" he said, tucking the map back in and pulling out an insulated blanket from the car's emergency storage, "here goes!" he kicked open the door, which was jammed by the snow, and braved the chilling wind past 3 empty cars towards the 2 cars Lacus and the kids are in.

The occupants of the first car jumped when they suddenly heard knocks on their window.

"Ms. Clyne. Ope-the-oor-quick" came DaCosta's muffled voice from outside.

The moment Lacus opened the door, he jumped in and crowded the already stuffed car.

"We…cannot…stay in…here" he gasped before motioning towards his right, "I found a cave just a few meters to the southeast of here. We will have a better chance of survival there and this is the time to go as the wind seemed to be slowing down"

Lacus nodded and told the children to cover themselves with the blankets and stick to DaCosta. At first some of the kids hesitated at the cold, but Lacus assured them until all of them emptied the car and dared the weather and deep snow towards the secluded location at the direction DaCosta pointed out.

On the way back to the cave after getting the children from the 2nd car, however, a thin layer of ice which caved in under the weight of the train of people, resulting in a crevasse, caused the last person of the chain, Lacus, to slip into it. None realized that until they reached the cave and Renee asked where Lacus was. DaCosta's face went really pale as he attempted to go back out, but the drastic increase of the winds' speed, coupled by the cave's unique entrance design, formed an unusual barrier such as that of air path through the aileron of a plane, consequently repelling his exit from the cave, but also locking the cold away from the cave.

* * *

"EAF is getting tremendous pressure from ZAFT, but the former is still feigning ignorance, whether true or not, saying that they have no involvement in the occupation whatsoever. Still, if they are telling the truth, then we should take into consideration that a rogue faction is behind this. An extreme snowstorm prohibits any aerial, radar, or satellite surveillance, but our latest report before the weather change shows that the enemy had occupied the entire valley, stretching from the lodges to the lake to the bottom quarter of the mountain, and set up perimeter around the area. Since the blizzard hinders their movement, it should be safe to assume that they hadn't secured the most dangerous area, the summit, and it should be out of their radar coverage. That will be your insertion point" briefed Waltfeld over an audio feed, while showing visual materials, to 9 DARTH operatives who are gearing up in the dim-lighted cargo bay onboard a stealth transport plane, "upon insertion, split up into 3 groups and penetrate into the valley. Be aware of heavy-military hardware, including MSs. Your main objective is to confirm the identity of this group. Whether or not EAF is behind this, ZAFT and ORB will provide back-up the moment we receive your signal. Remain undetected if possible, restrain a commanding officer of the enemy, and prevent unnecessary civilian casualty, giving Ms. Clyne, and Ms. Athha the top priority. Bear in mind that we have two of our people in there. Locate them without compromising your infiltration. Take out hostile on sight discreetly. Got it?"

"Yes, sir!" all of the said, while still busy packing their equipment.

"Kira, I would like to speak privately with you" said Waltfeld again.

The brown-haired boy, who was strapping on his vest, stopped his preparation, put on a pair of sunglasses and walked into the empty cockpit, which is programmed on auto-pilot.

"Sir?" he asked.

"I know you are well-trained, but you just regained consciousness a few hours ago. Are you sure you are ready for this mission? An unhealthy operative will just burden the others down" Waltfeld taunted, sounding insulting but deep-down, he's concerned.

"I'm fine, sir. I sure Father Malchio has informed you that as long as I refrain from bright lights, I would be alright" replied Kira.

"Well, if you are so confident, then go ahead, but take care of yourself, I would feel bad sending a sick kid into a dangerous situation" Waltfeld finished and ended the transmission.

At the same moment, Kira remembered Malchio's words that he shouldn't strain himself further because his SEED hasn't recovered yet and in that state, it would feed on his body, both physically and mentally, to sustain the life of its Holder in case of danger. Kira shook his words off and returned to the cargo bay.

* * *

Meanwhile, Athrun is getting more impatient by the second he is kept suppressed. Trying to retaliate against the 10 fully armed soldiers would also be foolish since he only has a combat knife and a handgun, and the soldiers are strategically scattered, therefore preventing them to be taken out at once. He gritted his teeth and muttered silently, "Lacus…DaCosta…where are you?" Cagalli, who is seated next to him, watched him worriedly.

"Cold…someone…" she mumbled to herself amidst the dark, slippery, icy pit surrounding her cowering figure, "Kira…help…me"

* * *

A/N: That's my perspective of SEED power. I always believed that it has some side-effect to it, and Malchio lost his sight because of it. Feedbacks appreciated… 


	7. Deceitful Truth

Following the stealth plane's low altitude pass over, 9 shadows can be seen gliding down the peak before grouping up a few meters away. One of them flips his PDA open, and studies it for a moment.

"That faint DARTH signal is originating south-east-south of here. Kira, Faye, and Rusty will trace that signal-" started the one who appears to be the leader.

"But, Miguel, our schedule will be compromised this way" interrupted Rusty.

"I'm aware of that. But that signal is too significant to be ignored. Athrun or Martin might be there. So Kira, just wrap it up quick and reinforce us ASAP"

"Yes, sir" replied the person behind the tinted helmet visor.

"Ahmed, you will disable the power source with Nicol and Edward. Julie, Arnold, and I will scout Athrun and Martin out. Operation start in 30 min at 0000 hrs" ordered Miguel as he shoved his PDA back into his vest.

The nine operatives immediately break into 3 groups and snowboard down the mountain in different directions. Kira adjusts his helmet to project the signal tone more clearly as Faye and Rusty weave among the trees ahead of him. Even by being shielded by the forest, the blizzard is so strong that they can still feel the winds trying to knock them off balance.

* * *

Deceitful Truth

* * *

"Mr. Azrael, sir" saluted a soldier, "our scouts have reported that ORB and ZAFT forces have stationed themselves just outside our perimeter."

"Well, well. They are unusually late" he remarked, tapping his fingers on the side of a keyboard, "bring Ms. Athha here, would you? At least one of them is enough for now."

"Right away, sir"

"Wait, any news from those three yet?"

"They have been sent to check out the detected strange activity at the mountain top. Other than that, no, sir"

"Raise the alert to 2nd level battle stations, just in case. Dismissed"

After the soldier left, Murrue asked, "What are you planning to do with her? Leave the students out of this."

Azrael turns his chair to face her, shakes his head, and said, "You are a demanding lady, don't you know that? It's fortunate that you're a Natural. Otherwise, I would have killed you right away, so I suggest you keep your mouth shut like the rest before I rip it out of your pretty face, okay?"

* * *

"Uh-oh. Danger ahead" said Rusty when he noticed a rather wide crevasse blocking their way.

"There! A fallen tree" followed Faye as she swerved for the correct position to cross.

Rusty and Kira followed her in a single file, forming a short train of blowing white cloaks. As the trio was passing over the tree, it slipped off on one end, forcing them to jump off. When they thought the worst was over, their landing area back onto the snow is filled with rocks, causing Faye, being the first, to get launched up a few meters into the air when her snowboard acts like diving board, and landing her on her butt, luckily, on a soft snow spot. Rusty safely crash-lands his board on a face of the rock. Kira, who jumped before the log fell, headed straight for tree branch, but he draws his rifle right in the nick of time and uses it to stop a direct impact.

"Ow,ow,ow,ow" whined Faye, until she felt 2 hands under her arms pulling her up. Her heart skips a beat for she never had her chest area touched by anyone.

"We are close, let's go" said Kira, hooking his board under his backpack and resumed on foot.

Rusty slapped her on the back, and said, "You heard the man. Let's go"

No more than 50 paces away stood a rather peculiar rock structure with an ice face. The signal tone in Kira's helmet pulsed more rapidly as he steps closer to the ice. On the other side of the ice, DaCosta's cell phone starts to vibrate in response to the trio's DARTH encrypted PDA signal. Since the cave is sealed up, oxygen supply for its tired occupants is running low; most of them have already fainted. DaCosta stirs up upon feeling the vibration in his pocket. He reaches into his pocket; flicks open the phone with his trembling hand, and read the text massage warning him to stay clear of the ice wall. With the last ounce of his strength, he pulls 5 kids, who are the closest to the wall, further back into the cave, before falling on the rocky ground. Outside, Kira plants a C4 on the foot of the ice wall while is Faye and Rusty is scouting the area.

"There's a cable car mess th-Holy!" Rusty said as he walked back and stopped upon seeing the blinking blue light on top of the plastic charge through his night vision/infrared visor.

Kira motioned for them to take cover before he blew the charge. The explosion shook the ground quite violently. Fortunately, the tree roots surrounding the area prevented an avalanche and the ongoing blizzard muffled the explosive noise. The three approached the center of the blast as the winds rapidly blew the mist away. The semicircle of snow on the ground in front of the ice had evaporated, and the wall had fallen out with its bottom inside the cave.

For once in several hours, fresh oxygen rushed into the cave. Kira leaped into the cave, checking the vital signs of the kids. Faye and Rusty followed suit.

"All of them should be alive" said DaCosta weakly as he tries to get up, to which Kira prevents him and helps him lie down.

"Ms. Clyne. She's, she got separated…somewhere between here and the 4th car north of the car…with the cracked window…I'm not sure…"

"How long has it been?" Kira asked abruptly

"About… 4 hours"

Kira rushes back out of the cave, brushing past Rusty, who said, "Oh boy, already 2354 hours. The guys down there are really gonna be shorthanded"

* * *

The lens of a pair of infrared binoculars peeks out off the pile of snow atop a cliff overlooking the Davos valley. The eyes behind that binoculars keenly observe the enemies' positions and movements, especially the VTOL aircraft and 3 larger ones parked in the open space between the lodges and lake. About a couple dozen Strike Daggers including other heavy armor units surrounds the area. He switches occasionally to the stealthy advance of two heat sources within the lodging sector.

"Miguel, power control terminal successfully seized," said Ahmed over radio, "power cut on your signal"

"Right" he replied, setting the binoculars down and pulling a muffled anti-armor .43cal from his side. "Attention all units. Operation will commence as scheduled. Kira's team will provide sniping cover for you. Interference will cut communication for the duration of this mission…Power out in…5…4…3…2…1"

* * *

Athrun tensed as a couple of soldiers approach his position. Seated cross-legged, his sweaty right palm slowly reaches down into his left sock. His eyes wildly scan the other guards as he counted the steps of the approaching soldiers. He noticed that over the past 5 hours or so, the alert levels of the enemy have deteriorated, enabling him to take them on without incurring any casualty. However, by doing so, he would have to blow his cover, and that is unacceptable by DARTH's policy. One of the soldiers came within striking his distance, followed by the other one, but some guards are keeping a close eye on them.

"Would you come with me, please?" inquired one of them politely to Cagalli, "Mr. Athha is on the line and wishes to speak to you"

"Father? Where?" Cagalli asked, suddenly springing to her feet.

"If you would…" the soldier ushered her.

Athrun tries to stop her when she started walking, but he ended up staring into the barrel of the other soldier's rifle, forcing him to sit back down. He watches as the main doors closed behind Cagalli's figure; his agitation shot up dramatically within that long 30 seconds.

Right at the moment he chose to take action, the lights went out, leaving the room pitch black, and silent for a few seconds; only the violent howl of the winds outside could be heard. Even though hardly any eyes could see in that darkness, DARTH operatives have been trained to use other senses in darkness.

"What's happening?" one of the soldiers asked, "My radio is out. Strange. What about yours?"

Athrun took that chance, sneaks up on one of the panicking guards, and slit his throat silently while covering his mouth. One of the guards heard the faint struggle, switches on his rifle's torch light and scanned the room, followed by the other eight. By this time, the students are already standing up and attempts to rebel amidst the confusion. Three of the soldiers fired several shots into the ceiling to threaten them, but to no avail. One of them decided to apply lethal force, but Athrun quickly placed a bullet in his brain. His shot sounded like the 'go!' shot of a track and field running event as the students start pouncing on the soldiers, who are giving themselves away by having that torch lights; 7 boys, both coordinators and naturals took down one soldier and giving him a beating of a lifetime; another soldier, who tries to contact the outside, was tackled to the ground; Yzak and Dearka took the time to toy with one before whupping him. The once silent lobby was filled with shouting of students, and wailings of mercy of the soldiers. Athrun quickly seizes the rifles and turns the torch lights off amidst the violence. He is ready to sneak out of the lobby when he suddenly senses movement right on the other side of the door. He hides to the side of the only unsealed door and pointed one of the rifles across. Then, the door swiftly swung open, followed by 4 ball-shaped objects. Athrun quickly identifies the objects and shuts his eyes and ducks for covers while covering his ears. The 4 flashbangs exploded, causing extensive temporary blindness and deafness within the rowdy teenagers throughout the lobby. Sensing steps in front of him, he rapidly scrambles for one of the rifles, only to feel a cold ring-shaped material on his forehead.

"Athrun?" Arnold said, moving his weapon away before pulling Athrun up.

"They are probably going to be out for some time" Julie said upon noticing the beaten-to-pulp soldiers. She then throws an integrated text phosphorous light into the middle of the still stunned students, marking 'Clear' and at the same time, informing them to stay inside and wait for help.

"The operation is on. ZAFT and ORB rescue teams are sweeping the lodging sectors right now. Communication is out, but Ahmed's and Kira's teams should already be engaging the enemy" informed Arnold, handing Athrun several ammo clips and explosives.

"Kira?" he asked, surprised, before following the other two out, "What about Athha?"

"We saw a jeep driving past earlier on. Ahmed should be intercepting it" Julie replied, "We have approximately 180 seconds to complete our objectives before ZAFT and ORB starts MSs launch"

* * *

"Lacus!" Kira called within that dark abyss.

He jumps off the rope while it's still suspended 5 meters off the bottom. Through his thermal detection visor, her body appears almost light blue instead of the normal reddish orange. Kira picks her upper body off the ground and lightly shakes her, but there's no response. He felt a rather sizable bump on the back of her head. Although no blood is visible, she may have suffered internal bleeding. He then takes off his gloves and touches her frigid wrist to check for her faint pulse; he puts his helmet down and feels for her short breath. Those couple evidences of her life lighten the pressure off him. Upon glancing to his side, he caught sight of a broken log; the one he recognized earlier on which fell off the top. If it were to slide down a few inches nearer, Lacus would have been crushed. Thinking of no other way to increase her body temperature, he doffs his liquid padded thermal body armor and gloves, and dons it on her, only hesitating for a moment about opening her top. Nevertheless, he did it anyway. Carrying her on his shoulder, he signaled for the two to hoist him up.

"Is she alive?" asked Rusty the moment Kira's head pokes out of the gulch.

"Yea-" he was suddenly interrupted when a bullet streaks past just a millimeter off his forehead, hacking parts of his hair away.

"Holy crap!" Rusty cursed, dropping flat on the snow and keeping his view towards the source of the shot.

Faye helps Kira pull Lacus up onto the snow before tossing his rifle back to him. The three then lay flat on ground for a few seconds until Kira motions for them to take cover behind a boulder nearby. Rusty scrambles towards cover, followed by Faye; and then Kira, who carries Lacus on his back, and having another bullet streaking through the pink hair.

To the northwest of their position, at the fallen cable-cars, three figures are stationed. One, who is lying on the snow, reloads the chamber of his sniper rifle while the other 2 kneels down and watches with their binoculars.

"You missed again Orga! 2 times!" shouted one of the onlookers, though dampened by the howling winds.

"Idiot" muttered the other.

"Would you want to try it then! Crot? Shani?" retorted the last one, "if you want it done, then get in there in finish this job! The winds are knocking my shots off course and I'm freezing!"

"Fine!" shouted Crot as he stood up and starts moving towards his target.

"Where did it come from?" asked Faye as she returns Kira's gear.

"Somewhere between our 6 to 8 o'clock" replied Rusty, who was leaning on to the rock. "Dammit, they have the elevation advantage, and those fallen cable cars provide a good cover"

Kira observes the flat, rock-riddled area they are stuck in. Although moving between boulders are simple, the distance from one to another places the trio in a disadvantage. However, the air disturbance and the enemy's amateur sniping might give them a slight edge. After covering Lacus with his cloak, Kira signals for them to switch cover and spread out.

As expected, the enemy opens fire but horribly misses. Kira arms the .43 cal and loads the 1.29 mm magazine clip, his custom ammo; as Rusty and Faye jump for another cover that places them closer, even only a few steps, to the enemy's position. By this time, Kira's starting to feel the chill penetrating his bones and numbing his fingers. He glances briefly over to Lacus behind the boulder beside him before dropping on the ice and aiming his scope.

"Three bogeys dead ahead. 30 paces and closing" Faye hand signaled Kira.

"10 paces, grenades, open fire" he signaled back.

Rusty and Faye, who are leaning back and facing him, nodded as both of them readies their frags. Although he has one heat signature locked in his cross-hairs, he dares not fire for fear of giving their position if he misses because of the wind factor.

"Guys? Are they dead? I don't see any orange thingy" Crot nervously said.

"Keep your eyes open. They are not dead until they are" Orga replied.

"Idiots" muttered Shani.

Suddenly, their eyes grow wide upon seeing 4 grenades being chucked at their direction. Crot cursed as the three leaps. Right after the explosion, they were blessed with showers of bullets. Kira knocks off Orga's sniper rifle, Faye shot Shani's right arm and Rusty makes Crot scram like a terrified cat. As the three runs for cover, it's time for the operatives to advance. Faye and Rusty reload their weapons while Kira switches to his assault rifle. Suddenly, a rifle springs out of one of the trees, followed by covering fire from two directions. Faye was caught up by the covering fire that she didn't pay attention to the rifle in the air. Rusty tries to warn her, but Shani has already jumped out and rains Faye with metal. Several bullets hit her upper body while 2 puncture her left leg, dropping her off balance.

"Faye!" Kira shouted as he fires on Shani, while Rusty throws a couple more frags to suppress the other 2.

This time, Orga and Crot returns the grenade favor and forces Kira and Rusty down behind cover. Almost immediately, however, Kira jumps back out, and opens fire, hitting Crot on the right shoulder, but not without getting the right side of his abdomen and his left shoulder shot up. Rusty took the chance during the pause between the exchanges of wounds to disable Orga's right foot. He then rushes to Kira's bloody figure, and is about to say something when Kira grabs his arm and said, "Get Faye and get out of here. I will cover for you. Come back with help later"

"But-"

"At least one of us is alive. I will be alright. Go!" he pushes him towards the unconscious girl.

With Kira giving him covering fire, Rusty grabs Faye, throws her over his shoulder and latches on his snowboard before making his escape. He sees Kira nodding at him for a split-second before bullets embed themselves inside the brown-hair. Rusty gasped seeing Kira collapse that he lost focus and almost rammed into a tree.

"Ha, ha, ouch," Crot groaned in pain of his shoulder, "look at him go. Coward!"

Shani and Orga ignored him and limp towards Kira's blood-spattered mess. Orga kicks the motionless body a few times to confirm his death. Shani, on the other hand, walks around to find Lacus. Suddenly, beeping in their helmets causes them to jump. A crackled voice of a man then instructs them to return. Meanwhile, Shani manages to find the peculiar looking white lump behind a boulder. He was about to fire at it when metal come showering his way. Following his dodges, three heads snaps towards the firing source.

"Wha, what is he? Monster?" Orga asked in surprise, looking at the brown-hair's standing posture.

Shani persists in shooting Lacus, but is again deterred by Kira who after running out of ammo dashes towards him. Shani stand rooted to the snow in shock as Kira closes in on him like a phantom. He draws his knife, but is suddenly petrified upon looking at Kira's dilated violet eyes, therefore getting himself thrown a few feet across the snow. Kira pursued him, but Orga cuts his path by firing his rifle.

"Let's go, Shani! We have to order to return" Orga shouted as he and Crot retreat into the heavy snowfall.

Kira's pained face looks on as Shani reluctantly runs off. Then, without warning, the former drops to his knees and slumps face down onto the ice beside where Lacus is, with his left hand touching hers.

* * *

Meanwhile, back down in the valley, the enemy has been alerted of hostile action. Since the infiltration of the first of ZAFT's and ORB's commando units, the area in and around the 4 transport planes is full of activity. All the fuss, however, provides excellent cover for Athrun and co. Their no-casualty objective has also been achieved since the responsibility is transferred to ZAFT and ORB right after the rescue teams commences their sweep.

As Arnold, Julie and Athrun round the north of the center of the valley to join up with Ahmed's team, a thermal scope tracks their movement. Then, one shot…two…three…Time seems to slow down to bullet time as Athrun notices Julie and Arnold collapse before feeling a sharp pain on his right shoulder just inches from his neck, and being propelled a few feet backwards onto the snow. Struggling to get up, he sees them trying to recover themselves until two more shots keep them down for eternity. He freezes in shock for a second before snapping out and leaping towards the crate-filled area nearby to evade another streaking bullet skewering past his left ear. However, the spot he lands is so soft that his legs sink a few inches down, tripping him.

The person behind the scope, still keeping a full view of him, grins as he perceives Athrun's disadvantage and prepares his trembling finger to pull the trigger. Suddenly, a bright flash of light from his target's position critically blinds him due to infrared emission of flashbang, causing all the swear words known to mankind to escape his mouth. As Athrun gets up and feeling a hand on his injured shoulder, he tenses and swiftly turns to retaliate until Nicol calls his name.

"Come on. Let's go!" Nicol said, leading the other towards an overturned jeep, which is a short distance away from a nearby firefight.

"Arnold…and Julie…they are down" Athrun forced out as he leans back toward the side of the jeep and clutching his injury before suddenly noticing a figure beside him lying down motionless, "Cagalli?" Worry suddenly fills his heart.

"Ahmed and Edward too, but Athha is still alive, grazed skull," Nicol said before showing him a bullet casing, to which the other gasped, "1.29 mm. Custom .43 cal"

"Only…one person I know can use that perfectly" he said, to which Nicol agrees.

Miguel, unable to track his target, abruptly let go of the rifle, and groans in pain while holding on to his very sore right arm and shoulder, caused by the unusual recoil of the rifle and trigger, and abnormal vibration of the main chamber after firing.

"Damn him! Whatever made him make me use this blasted contraption? I can kill them all the same with other rifles!"

He tends to his bruised body part before reloading the rifle with a pained grunt and resuming his search.

* * *

Azreal panics as the cabin vibrates in response to an explosion outside. He keeps pacing to and fro in front of the monitors while periodically checking his watch.

"Where's that girl?" he immediately asked a soldier who just entered the cabin.

"uh…we lost contact with the guys responsible"

"Then find her!"

"There are squads of commandos covering the area, so-"

"Think, you dumbass! What are those tanks for? What are those Mobile Suits for? Display?"

"But you ordered them on standby until further orders from you" retorted the soldier which fumbles Azrael as he barks, "then, then, order them to launch immediately!"

"What are you thinking? There are innocent students around!" shouted Natarle.

Hearing this, he snaps, pulls out a gun from his suit and shoots her on the chest. The other staff members gasp in shock; but Flaga, enraged, jumps up, dashes towards the distracted Azrael and swings the chair on his back, knocking the short-fused nutcase down, and his gun away. He was about to stomp the chair on him when another soldier, who just walks in, shot him on the side of the abdomen.

"Nice try, but you failed" Azreal said as he picks himself up and starts kicking Flaga like coward.

The soldier then whispers to his ear, to which Azreal's face lightens up as he said, "Good, now we can move on! Spread the word, we are retreating," he then switches back his hostages. "Well, ladies and gentlemen, I'm would love to accompany you longer but something came up. Hope you have a nice stay"

Although most of the staff isn't familiar with military affairs, they could discern that Azreal had initiated a countdown to self-destruct before he left. It reads '300 sec' and counting, prompting them to struggle to escape.

* * *

Her blue eyes open to the cold greeting of snow gale even though her body contradicts it. Feeling a weight on her left hand and looking in the direction, she caught sight of a red-colored figure. She gasps when her eyes focus on the figure, but her dry throat prevents her from calling his name. She can only pull herself to him and whisper into his ear. However, his cold body didn't react in any way whatsoever. Tears start to escape her eyes and freeze on her cheek. She stays there beside him, clutching onto his red uniform, and praying. She is about to pass out again when a voice says, "Ms. Lacus"

"Save him, please" was all she could reply before blacking out.

* * *

"That's the signal flare. Our time is up" Nicol said in response to a faint yellow light to the east.

Athrun could only nod as the loss of blood weakens him rapidly although the wound has been covered. They, and 3 ORB commandos who had joined them, have not moved for 2 minutes as weapons exchange suppresses them down, especially the rouge sniper who almost got Nicol when he sticks his helmet out.

Amidst vibrations caused by MSs' steps, one of the commandos informs Nicol and Athrun that they will be retreating as the main force will be taking over the battle. Nicol helps Athrun up while one of the commandos grabs Cagalli. The moment they dash out of the cover; one of the commandos, who is providing cover fire, is sniped in the leg. Drastic things happen rapidly over the next minute; Nicol received a bullet to the head, and a rather massive explosion from the location of 4 transport planes sent a Strike Dagger careening towards their position. The commando who carries Cagalli, knowing that he cannot evade his doom, throws Cagalli out of the way, before he and the other two are crushed underneath it. Athrun and Nicol barely missed getting crushed as they were ahead of the group.

Further snipe shots forces Athrun to jump behind the MS's cover. As he is familiar with the .43 cal, he estimates the last shot of the magazine before pulling Cagalli back. He pauses for a moment to look around for a means to escape when it surfaces conveniently in front of him. He then reaches for Nicol's equipment pack, tosses the last flashbang above him, and jumps into the cockpit while carrying Cagalli over his left shoulder.

All DARTH operatives have been trained in MS usage, and since it is one of his strengths, Athrun quickly activates the MS. However, as he moves the MS up, 3 MS-sized shadows loom in front of him. Of course, being disguised as one of the enemy, the 3 MSs do not attack him. All of the sudden, they open fire toward him. Athrun grits his teeth in anticipation. However, the shots were not intended for him, but for the ZAFT and ORB units approaching from behind. He manages to distinguish certain characteristics from the 3; one has a scythe, one has a spiked ball, and the last has a twin blaster.

One of the flaming GINNs was shot in such a way that its projected crash area is the top of the cliff where a person is. Miguel watches stunned as the ball of fire come crashing his way. Then, the explosion triggers a small avalanche. Athrun takes advantage of the situation and leaves for the extraction zone within ORB's temporary territory, although he receives friendly fire until he manages to ID himself. Immediately after landing, he passes out bushed, with the blonde-haired girl on his lap and her head on his left shoulder.

* * *

A/N:…uh…uh…I will be glad if anyone still reads this. I apologize for not updating in a while. School before summer is wacko. Lots of projects, school officer responsibility, and especially finals. Same with you guys right? Thank goodness most of them are done with. Therefore I should be able to write more frequently now. Thanks for your reviews in advance…if any. Hope the story isn't strange. 


	8. Recurring Sorrow

The empty streets, the ruined structures, the silence, the distant tremor. All these are the product of one of the worst battles the world had ever seen in a decade. ZAFT-aligned Ottawa was the first major city to fall in EAF's sudden and recent conquest to purge ZAFT off the North America. They had been successful so far in catching ZAFT off guard through rapid advances and strategic planning in addition to their sheer strength in numbers. In just half a month since Ottowa, EAF had swept down from Alaska and planted full grip on both the American continents.

Their unexpected effectiveness and strength threw ZAFT control on the Western Hemisphere off balance. Even in space, large numbers of ships have been reported leaving Eurasia's L3 Artemis fortress and inbound to the lunar Ptolemaeus base. In response to that, ZAFT amasses their forces at Boaz. EAF's new offensive sent the world into chaos just like it first did 10 years ago. Many people had thought the war is dying out in the last years, but this short 12 days proved them wrong. The anti-race hatred that had resulted in many losses has been rekindled.

Tensions are mounting on the eastern shoreline of the Altantic after reports of EAF crossing the ocean to reinforce their Victoria base for the next conquest. As a result Europe, with ZAFT bases at Belfast, Gibraltar and Copenhagen expecting invasion, reduces all civilian activities. Therefore the Institute was closed down as Belfast is just beyond its border in addition to the Davos valley scandal, where 2 elementary children, 3 high schoolers, and 3 university students are seriously injured, killed, and missing respectively.

* * *

Recurring Sorrow

* * *

In the middle of a dimly-lit room, footages and recording of the Davos valley incident are projected in the middle of a roundtable occupied by 5 figures.

"I have never expected it to be this serious…I apologize for not answering to your call sooner" said one of the figures right after the projection ends and the table lights switch on.

"We are aware of your strict schedule given the current situation," followed Waltfeld, "I must thank all of you for allowing time for this meeting"

"It's our responsibility too" said Attha, one of DARTH's administrators together with Siegel Clyne, Admiral Lewis Halberton, and Reverend Malchio. Except for Malchio, who most of DARTH personnel identify as the founder, the identities of the other 3 supervisors are kept in dark to all except Waltfeld. This is done so as to prevent conflict for DARTH is created after the apparent truce of the war 10 years ago. If their involvements in DARTH were to go public, it would lead up to complications by extremists who will not accept peace between Naturals and Coordinators, such as Blue Cosmos. Accusations, such as the three manipulating the events that had happened through the years, will surface.

"I do presume Ms. Clyne and Ms. Athha are safe?" asked Waltfeld to which both fathers nod. He then presses a button to switch the light back off again.

A few moments later, following the whirring of an elevator, Rusty, guided by a stage light, walks into the darkroom. "Operator no. 1008, Rusty McKenzie, reporting, sir" he saluted, stopping where the light stops.

Waltfeld's voice came from behind the shadows, "Rusty, I want you to tell me what happened during the mission"

He paused for a moment before proceeding, "Right after the drop-off, Miguel detected a weak DARTH signal originating away from the mission area. Kira, Faye, and I were sent to verify it. A cave was the source of the signal, and Kira detonated an explosive to open the frozen cave mouth. We found Martin and some lower elementary children trapped. Although all of them are found to be alive, Clyne is still unaccounted for. Kira led the search after I left a homing beacon for the rescue team. I myself am not sure how he can pinpoint her location in the long and deep crevasse which she had fallen into. He was in there for approximately 2 minutes before signaling to us. He came out without his helmet and gave his body armor to the target. Then, we suddenly received hostile fire sourcing from the fallen cable cars area to the northwest. The first shot barely missed Kira, and while we were running for cover, the second shot missed Clyne. By that time, we have passed the scheduled rendezvous time, and pinned down under our cover. Kira decided to meet the threat instead. He left Clyne behind a boulder before joining us. It is clear that the three were engaged were not normal soldiers. They withstood several bullet wounds, such that no one without proper conditioning could endure. Faye received wounds from a surprise move, followed by Kira. I suggested for him to escape, taking Faye with him, while I provide cover, but he forced me to go instead. I refused leaving him alone, but his determination convinced me. Soon after, however, I caught a glimpse of him dropping his gun. That's the last I saw of him. I reached the ZAFT extraction zone about 10 minutes later and informed one of the search and rescue officers about Martin and Kira. Faye and I were then taken in for medical attendance…I'm, I'm at fault for running away and leaving my comrade behind. I will gladly suffer the consequences"

"….you did the right thing, my boy. First priority is to obey your commanding officer, and you did that. Better for one to survive rather than all to die" Waltfeld replied.

"May I speak, sir?"

"Go on"

"I wanted to let you know that Kira said the same phrase you did. And, and I heard about how his bullet killed my fellow operatives, but I would vouch my life that it's not him. He was up on the mountain slope the whole time, or at least I think he was…"

"Don't worry. I will get to the bottom of it. You just focus on getting well," he said.

Rusty salutes before turning to leave. Then, the whirring of another elevator brings another person with a right shoulder support restraint replaces him in the light spot.

"Operator no. 0093, Athrun, reporting, sir" he saluted with his left hand.

"How are feeling?" came Waltfeld's voice.

"I'm fine, sir. Thank you"

"Good. I want you to recollect about what happened that day in Graubünden"

"At around 0800 hrs after breakfast, Cag-, excuse me, Attha dragged me into a snow ball game. At around that time was also the last I saw DaCosta and Clyne. At around 1100hrs the weather started to change. We were then advised to stay inside. It was not until a few more hours, that EAF soldiers occupied the place. Athha and I were kept hostage in the main building's lobby along with other students. Then, approaching midnight, an officer and one of the guards drew her away by mentioning her father's name. I tried to break out when the power suddenly went out, and aided my attempt. The other students also rebelled against the guards and quickly suppressed all 6 of them, excluding the two I had neutralized. In the chaos, I managed to seize the guards' weapons and attempted to escape, but was hindered by Arnold's and Julie's flashbangs. Their action, however, managed to calm the commotion down. They quickly briefed the current situation before we move to join up with Ahmed's team. By that time, ZAFT and Orb commando units had infiltrated the area as gunfire could be heard faintly. Then, the three of us were sniped on our way to Ahmed's presumed location. The sniper clearly isn't skilled enough to deal the lethal blow at the first shot. It took him another shot each to take down Julie and Arnold. I managed to evade his 2nd shot, but I lost my footing soon after but Nicol saved me in the nick of time and pulled me away towards cover behind an overturned jeep. Then I saw the unconscious Attha. A bullet had grazed her skull, but she is still alive. Nicol then informed of Ahmed's and Edward's deaths; told me of Miguel's report of Kira's sniping support; and showed me the 6.29 mm bullet casing. 3 Orb commandos joined us just a few minutes before the signal flare is fired. However, as we are escaping the hot zone, the sniper killed Nicol while he is helping me move. The 3 commandos were crushed under a Strike Dagger propelled by an explosion nearby the 4 transport planes. Attha survived all this. After suppressing the sniper, I decided to board the mobile suit to escape. It seems the enemy had 3 unique mobile suits at their disposal. I managed to get a glimpse of them before retreating towards the nearest extraction zone, and then waking up in an Orb hospital"

"So you think Kira is the sniper?"

"…Yes and no. Yes because the ammo is reserved for his ID code only. No because another .43 cal was reported taken out of the armory" he paused, "and because of he's my friend. I trust him"

"Thank you"

He salutes and leaves before another person into the room.

"Operator no. 0403, Martin DaCosta, sir"

"I have asked you this before, but I will ask you again on the record this time. Could you tell me what happened in Davos?"

"Yes, sir," he replied, "The students are up early Christmas Eve enjoying the snow. Attha had forced Athrun to participate in a snow ball war, so we separate at around 0800hrs. Clyne seemed uncomfortable being followed around, and she requested to be left alone while she and some younger elementary students ride the cable car up to mountain. I followed her about 3 cars behind. Hardly anyone rides the car, I presume, because it was so early in the morning. We went about halfway the mountain side while the sky darkens, until the cars stopped due to an apparent power outage. We were left suspended for a few hours before the severe winds weaken the support towers and our cars collapse. I tried signaling for help, but interference is too great. Then, the fiberglass of my car starts to crack under the extreme cold, and figures it would be the same case as Clyne's too. Remembering the map of my briefing, I decided to evacuate Clyne and the kids into a cave to the southeast of our present location. The move was going well until the trip back to the cave after collecting the children from the second car. I had not realized it until a little girl noticed Clyne's disappearance. I attempted to go back out but the sudden change in wind direction sealed the cave's mouth, therefore trapping us in. There was no way out except by the mouth. We waited for about 4 hours and oxygen is running low until I was alerted of help. Then, an explosion blew the frozen cave entrance down. I relieved to see Kira's, Faye's, and Rusty's faces. After telling him about Clyne, Kira immediately left. I blacked out again until ZAFT rescue teams found us."

"Alright, thank you, DaCosta. You may go"

The lights came on again after the room is cleared.

"Their testimonies seemed to go along with their helmet recording. Only Kira's and Miguel's are missing" started Waltfeld, "whatever the case, I fear the enemy has penetrated DARTH deeper than we had expected"

"I have discussed this with Uzumi and Lewis earlier on. Given the current events, which DARTH is created to avoid, it may be time to wrap this up before the situation gets any worst" said Clyne reluctantly.

"What are you implying?"

"What we are implying, Andrew, that we may have outlived our duty" said Halberton, "whoever is behind this must know the relation DARTH is keeping behind its curtains. That's why all three of us is involved in this. EAF's chain of command has started to change from a year ago. My right-hand man, Major Mu la Flaga, confirms Blue Cosmos leader, Mureta Azrael, is behind this attack. Flaga went undercover to check up on conspiracy within the Dublin Institution. He had suspicions on Creuset but was unable to uncover any evidence"

Clyne remained quiet.

"All these are ruining our alliance. It would best to call for a truce and freeze DARTH activity for the time being…until the smoke clears" added Attha.

By this time Waltfeld is boiling in irritation. He sprung up from his seat, "5 agents are dead! 2 of my best are missing! All because of what? Protecting your precious daughters from a threat? A threat that had been unknown?" he paused, "And now you are doing this? Instead of banding together you want to back away? What more are you hiding from me?"

"The fact is that two of your best are the prime suspects of this whole matter! This failure leads up to this renewed chaos. We should be asking you that question. What are you planning and hiding from us?" retorted Halberton.

"Gentlemen! Calm down!" interrupted Malchio, "the enemy wants us to break apart. We mustn't let them have this" After both of them sit back down, he resumes, "we must go through this step by step. First, Admiral, you mentioned about the changes in EAF's chain of command. Would you mind filling us in?"

Halberton explains that EAF had been dependent on many private industrial contractors in order to match the rapid advancements in ZAFT's technology. Though there are many anti-Coordinator sentiments within the ranks, it had not been obvious until a year ago when the High Command accepts the leader of Azreal Industries into the board. From then on, the Command starts to become aggressively ambitious. Doings within the higher levels were kept away from the lower ranks. He himself is unaware of the mass-production activity in JOSH-A until EAF's newest offensive.

"So Blue Cosmos is likely influencing EAF" said Malchio, "now, Siegel nominated Creuset because he is capable enough for the responsibility. Why do you suspect him of treason?"

"While he was holding the post, EAF somehow managed to archive the information in the Institution's database. I decided to send him in to investigate on it. Then Flaga reported seeing a number of EAF personnel infiltrating the Institution grounds. Further, Azrael and Creuset met with each other just a month ago at the same time a batch of modified Hypnochronomorphine, secretly developed by EAF as a form of stimulant for soldiers, was reported missing. Then your agent is exposed to that drug, which seemed to have an inverse effect on the boy"

"Siegel, what do you say to that?"

"I will look into it. If he is guilty, then he will face justice"

"Motive" Attha continued, "what common target was they aiming for? I have been noticing that only after the two agents came into the picture that attempts on Lacus' and Cagalli's lives have been made. Even if their plan is to expose us, why hadn't they?"

"So they had been aiming at them?" asked Waltfeld, "but that's ridiculous. How could such manpower is dedicated to four children alone?"

"Gentlemen, perhaps it's the right time I reveal this" Malchio sighed, "Those four are SEEDs" That surprises and keeps them silent until blind man resumes, "This threat is targeting them. They might or might not know if they are still alive, and would definitely go after them again. I'm not sure about that fact, but I'm inclined to protect the rest of them to the best of my abilities"

"That might be the case. However, the purpose of DARTH is not to protect children" Attha replied, "I'm certain Siegel agrees with me that our own country is capable enough to handle that responsibility now that they have returned."

Seeing the three men's implied agreement, Waltfeld just keeps quiet because he knows he had no authority in this no matter how much he hates it. "I guess DARTH will be disbanded?"

"Commander, whether or not DARTH will be dissolved, it's your and Father Malchio's choice. What Siegel, Uzumi, and I are saying is that we will no longer be supporting this organization" Halberton said, standing up.

"It's easier to take action if we are not involved with one another" Athha explained further, leaving his seat.

The lights fully switch on following his phrase, revealing a similar Victorian style design to Waltfeld's office. Clyne reluctantly gets on his feet, followed by Waltfeld, and Malchio, who sighed before joining the standing club. They then offer each other uneasy handshakes and starts to head out of the room.

"_Don't tell anyone about him please, Daddy"_ Clyne flashbacked. "Commander, may I speak to you in private?" he stopped him while the other 3 descents. "I feel guilty about some affairs. I wish you would accept this," he hands him a MOS disk before continuing, "The M1s, GuAIZs, and the X09A. It would be our way of apologizing…"

* * *

"Azrael actually proved useful" Creuset said as he skims through a message on his laptop computer screen in the unlighted room. "My way is finally free of disturbances" Then his screen switches to the profile and picture of the brown haired boy. "I have to admit you are a tough nut to crack, boy. The kitchen accident didn't kill you, the girl didn't kill you, but now I finally got you-" he was suddenly interrupted.

Peeking out of the window blinds, he notices a number of figures moving in cover of darkness. His edge of his lips curls as he types a command into his laptop and a countdown commences. He then grabs his cloak; a device, an earpiece, and a gun beside the laptop before leaving the room.

"Target is in room 813. He must be taken alive. Approach cautiously, do not alarm the other occupants" said a voice over his earpiece.

He took advantage of that awareness to their movements to make his escape from the 8th floor of the apartment in Cork. On the 4th floor, however, his route has all been sealed off, yet he confidently moves on even though one of his would-be captors is rounding the corner he is approaching. Each stares into the barrel of the other's weapon the moment they meet, except the soldier then grants him passage.

"The northwest stairs is the fastest way to go" informed the soldier. However, as Creuset walks past, he fires his gun on the soldier's face.

"Foolish Coordinator. How pitiful…" he sighed, leaving the unlucky defector dead.

When the soldiers finally reach room 813, all they found was a middle finger pointing at them on the monitor of the laptop. Creuset, who is already outside, smiles slightly before clicking on a button of the device he was holding. The soldiers, realizing the fact, starts to flee but several explosions throughout the whole building sealed their fates together with the innocent occupants as the whole structure comes crumbling down.

* * *

The first color he sees upon opening his eyes is black; then grey; then a tint of pink, but later reverts to, and remains in, darkness. He feels small puffs of breath in front of him, causing to back away. Just finger span away from his nose is Lacus looking down worriedly at him.

"Kira?" she breathed out. Hardly any words could describe the next moment. Kira suddenly panics, throws the sheets onto Lacus, attempts to get off the bed but loses his footing and falls over. When Lacus managed to get the sheet away, Kira is sitting on the floor with his back on the glass wall, and panting while hugging his pillow, acting like a frightened little child.

Lacus slowly approaches him, making him tense up again. His eyes move wildly as he utters indiscernible sounds such that a toddler would. Lacus kneels down and starts to wave, but his eyes didn't respond. She changes her stance and starts to hum a tune while slowly moving forward towards him until the tip of her middle right finger barely touches his cheek. His grip on the pillow tightens as Lacus brushes her entire right hand on his cheek. Feeling him ease up, she follows with her left hand. He is slowly lulled into sleep at her soft touch and voice.

* * *

A/N: I would understand if this is boring, but I planned it to serve as explanations. I thought Kira getting his mind reverted to a 2 year-old, being blind, and taken care of Lacus might be interesting since that's mostly I see in the series. Guardian-patient relation. Let's have a moment of silence for the fall of Freedom. I hope Kira dies….just joking. Thanks for the reviews… 


	9. Protector's Resolve

The continents fell quickly under EAF's onslaught, leaving only South-East Asia, Australia, New Zealand and the Southern Pacific Islands intact after the short 4 months since the take over of the Americas. ZAFT, concentrating in space, spread their forces on earth too thin and contributed to their consecutive retreats. The only measurable battle happened at Gibraltar, but after its defeat, ZAFT Supreme Council pulled part of the remaining armed forces on earth back to space, and orders the others to Carpentaria. Vital strategic bases such as Victoria and Kaohsiung are abandoned and their mass drivers destroyed, nevertheless, giving EAF easy passage as it spreads out across the Bering Strait and over the Altantic into Europe, Africa and most of Asia.

However, EAF also has its taste of losses in space. They were repelled time and again at Boaz; the last with the loss of the 2nd Armada, EAF's best space fleet commandeered by Halberton, who was rashly sent by the High Command. Fortunately, Halberton, Flaga, several rookie test pilots, and ship personnel managed to escape to Ptolemaeus base. Considering his abilities and the damage his fleet, though defeated, dealt to ZAFT at Boaz, the admiral was then assigned to a special task force, which is sent to assist the 2nd assault on Carpentaria after the previous failed partly due to the interference of one unknown MS. That defeat also drove for ZAFT's counterattack at the lunar base.

"Flaga unit. X-185 Assail. Go ahead!" announced the CIC just before the linear catapult propels the MS out into the battlefield of Carpentaria, following Forbidden, Calamity, and Raider.

Successor to the outstandingly performing, and stolen, X105, the X185 was developed, at the same time as the other three units, as the prototype MS variation of Moebius Zero, therefore employing its gunbarrel technology but losing the ability to equip packs. Instead of equipping the large, heavy-looking gunbarrel, Assail employs aile-designed backpack and hip packs containing much smaller tube-sized wired single barrelled gunpods. Other than the 2 pods on each hip and 4 at the back, the MS is equipped with a standard-issue beam rifle, a shield, and a couple beam sabers mounted on each forearm which slides into the hands during use. The MS is capable of atmospheric flight, and the gunpods, though not operable under gravity, can fire forwards from the hip and sideways from the back when docked.

"It must be very humiliating for an admiral to lose his whole frontline armada in a single battle," said the EAF commander abroad his carrier, watching 4 MSs launch out of a white battleship, "Let's see if Halberton can reclaim his glory after Boaz's defeat"

"It seems that red mobile suit is out there again" said Flaga, "leave him to me"

"…whatever" said Shani.

"I don't care if you die" added Crot as the three broke formation and boosted ahead inland.

Abroad the Archangel, brief conflicts among the personnel occurred almost everywhere throughout the ship, including the bridge, which ended in more than half of the crew being taken down. Soon after, Halberton received a massage which seemed pleasing to his ears. Meanwhile, Assail and the red MS clashed low over the ZAFT shoreline battery installations and EAF MS attack force, taking down parts of them in the process.

"What…what is Halberton doing!" roared the EAF commander upon realizing that 30 Assail Daggers have been taken down in a mere 12 minutes, "shoot down that red MS!"

"Justice, do you read me?" transmitted Flaga as he shot down several incoming DINNs.

"Acknowledged" Athrun replied, flying past Archangel towards a formation of EAF ships, "Admiral"

"We are ready here" Halberton responded and orders the Lohengrin activation.

The ship wheels around towards Justice and fires both positron cannons. Athrun pulls up, leaving the frigates and cruisers fighting below him to the mercy of the Lohengrin. He then fires the Fatum backpack cannons in Archangel bridge's direction, destroying 2 GINNs, followed by Assail which finished off the surviving 4 ships in the vicinity.

"Engines full forward. We are leaving" ordered Halberton now that the waters in front of them are free of obstacles, as he referred to his watch, "looks like it's almost time for those three. Send a message 'resupply at commanding carrier', got it?"

"Commander! 8 frigates and 3 cruisers have been downed and Archangel appears to be moving out of the battlefield" informed an officer, causing the commander to boil up.

"Archangel, what's the meaning of this! Respond!" However, no reply came as the monitor in front of him shows Justice and Assail flying in after the ship. "Then, then, what about Forbidden, Calamity, Raider?"

"They are approaching our position and requesting clearance to resupply"

"We have no equipment for those three. Get them in quickly and send them back Kaohsiung! High Command will be questioning me for this. Dammit!" he swung his fists down onto the armrest. "Send out a recon unit after that ship and alert Kaohsiung..._damn you Halberton._"

* * *

Protector's Resolve

* * *

Despite all the fighting and violence, the neutral island nation of Orb continues on with relative peace. However, that calm is due to the hard work of its politicians and leaders, who had been under intense pressure from the two major forces.

"War, politics, father's work, At…and I'm stuck in a stupid uniform doing irrelevant things at this boring place. I don't like this, I don't like it at all!" shouted Cagalli as she stuffed some books, one of which reads 'History and Principles of Orb', into her almost empty locker.

"Calm down, Cagalli. You should be glad that we aren't involved in the war" said Milliaria, hugging a thick book in front of her as she waits for the other to finish venting her frustration at the poor locker.

Milly was one of the few familiar people Cagalli recognized when she first arrived at the School of Advanced Instruction and the two became fast friends. Milly's family moved to Orb during EAF's Europe conquest to escape the violence. Cagalli, having gone through a little of the violence of war, occasionally gets irritated at the carefree attitude of other people, especially some arrogant students who she readily knock out, consequently landing her in detentions frequently and earning her a similar reputation she received at Dublin as a brash tomboy.

"You don't think this weather will clear up soon, do you?" said Milly while looking out the windows towards the almost black thunderclouds as the two walked along a corridor to the next class.

"Nah" she replied softly before drifting off, "_Athrun, where are you?"_, until a flash of lightning streaked nearby, causing her to jump slightly. At the same time, the lights in the corridor went off, leaving the area pitch-black except for the occasional flashes from the storm outside. "What now?"

"It seems the other buildings are also experiencing the same problem" Milly remarked, pointing to the adjacent block of the schooling complex, "even the emergency exit lights are out. That's strange"

Just as she finished, an announcement rang out over the PA system, "All students, please do not panic and proceed cautiously towards the main auditorium. Power will be back shortly. I repeat, all-"

"Target sighted. Proceed with the plan" whispered a figure into a device that resembles a headset which is connected to a pair of goggles as he walked past fidgety students.

Milly treads alongside the corridor's wall with Cagalli holding on to her right hand as they feel their way about the darkness. Suddenly, Cagalli's free hand struck an object that feels like an arm of a person. Just as she was about to apologize, another lightning flashed, granting her the second to see a uniformed figure lunging at her. A sharp pain coursed from the cave of her ribs as she start to black out. _"Brown…familiar"_

"Come in" replied Uzumi in response to the knocks on his door.

"A report from Surveillance, sir" entered a page boy of the Parliament Building, "There's a power outage at the School. A lightning struck in the vicinity of the area 4 minutes ago and the whole area is still down. Security are investigating the site right now"

"An-" he was interrupted by a distant, faint vibration, followed by an incoming transmission a few seconds later. "Yes?" he spoke into the handle of video phone.

"Lord Uzumi! This…" said a worried-looking female Orb official on the monitor who was replaced by a video feed of a wind-disturbed column of smoke originating from a large area of fiery rubble that seem to struggle against the rain. The handle slipped off his trembling hand upon seeing the ruined building.

* * *

"You have been very valuable to me, Rozefy" said Creuset, smiling and sliding a diskette he received from her into his pocket, "I wouldn't know what to do without you"

Even in the dimly lighted atmosphere of the crowded bar, a pale blush appeared on the cheeks of the woman sitting beside the blond man wearing a pair of sunglasses instead of his mask. She was wearing a rather modest one-piece dress that showed her skinny figure. Her brown eyes, which are covered slightly by locks of her shoulder-length black hair, rest behind a pair of glasses. Her appearance was neither pretty nor ugly, but shows traits of a well-educated individual.

"I must go. There are matters to attend to" said Creuset after finishing his glass. He then bade her farewell by kissing her hand while saying softly, "We will carry it out as decided. I shall be waiting"

Turning his back on her, he exited the bar into the artificial night atmosphere of the crowded sector of the colony and got into a vehicle which pulled off in front of him. One of the ZAFT soldiers in the vehicle then handed him a set of white commander uniform.

"Orb news stations just broadcasted. It seems the boy did it" informed the soldier.

"Excellent" he remarked while donning the uniform and asking. "What about that other unit?"

"It is very well hidden. We have no idea of its whereabouts"

"Never mind, just proceed as planned" he paused, giving the soldier the disk. "Get rid of her also"

* * *

"I'm impressed, kid" Flaga said, standing beside the captain's chair as Archangel descents among the Southern Alps of New Zealand.

"I would have never expected you to be that same history teacher either" Athrun replied.

"No, no, not that. I'm impressed that the base is so naturally fortified"

"Quit chatting you two" reprimanded Halberton as the ship enters through a rock face which opened into an underground naval cave.

As Archangel comes to a complete stop, Athrun, who noticed that the buildings outside had been withdrawn, frowned upon seeing the unusual busy activity happening inside: Technicians and mechanics hustling around GuAIZs and M1s, and a dismantled orange Izumo-class; pilots wandering around their machines; the yellow base alert level, which rarely happens; and security personnel readying themselves to board the ship. Athrun swiftly grabs a hold on his sidearm and backs up on the bridge exit while keeping a close eye on the bridge personnel.

Then, Waltfeld appeared on the intercom. "I apologize for the extra security, Admiral. A rather complicated affair happened earlier, so we are on high alert."

"Understood. We have no problem with that"

Athrun relaxed slightly when DARTH soldiers entered the bridge and escorted Halberton, Flaga and him out across the platform. Waltfeld is there waiting on an open area, reprimanding several idling personnel to get back to their work. Athrun glanced to his side and noticed Flaga whistling at a group of female trainees passing by in their skin-tight pilot suits. However, since one of them, the instructor, is Aisha, Athrun gave the side of his stomach a good elbow.

"Welcome Admiral. I must admit I was surprised when Father Malchio informed me of your request" he started as the two men shook hands.

"And I'm grateful for your reply" Halberton replied, motioning towards Athrun who had a slight grin on the edge of his lips as Flaga winced while rubbing his injury.

"I should go straight to the point" Waltfeld said as led them towards the rest area, "5 of my agents escaped 54 hours ago. None realized about it until 17 hours later during a drill" Athrun's surprise was added when Waltfeld continued, "Reports came in on the bombings at Orb that happened within the time frame those 5 agents are missing. My spies there also confirmed the trace of DARTH's CKD-2 (Counter Kinetic Detonation) bomb on the remains of the target. To make matters worse, Athha's daughter and numerous other students are-"

He was interrupted when the alarm suddenly rang out and a male voice requested him to come to the control room. Athrun ran after him into the elevator which ascends several stories and then opens up the red-lighted Control.

"Commander, our sensors detected a reconnaissance UAV flying over us. And bearing North-Northwest, a carrier fleet is bearing on our position" an operator said, showing them the sensor map and several video feeds of surveillance cameras installed throughout the mountains.

Waltfeld's eyes shifted from the map to Athrun, who was gaping in disbelief, and then to one of the feeds which are showing the long range UAV losing altitude and crashing into the sea, probably because out of fuel.

"Red alert level! Get all hands on standby" ordered Waltfeld before continuing to look at the visual map showing the blips of ships entering the Tasman Sea. "Identification?"

"The type-LR UAV and ships register EAF identification" replied one operator.

"Commander, allow me to lure them away" Athrun suggested.

"We'll just stay quiet for now" replied Waltfeld sternly at the same time as Halberton and Flaga entered. "Admiral, by taking you in, I assume all responsibility for the safety of your crew. Please do not ask for the clearance to launch" he said before the other can start.

"Then, at least allow me" Flaga continued to which Waltfeld ignored until several explosions vibrated the entire base.

"Sir!" called Athrun.

"Their missiles are missing horribly. They are still unaware of our position and I don't intent to let them"

Nobody could say anything else as they know Waltfeld is right and experienced enough to handle the situation. The bombardment lasted for as long as 10 minutes, and as Flaga said, the natural defense terrain shielded the base pretty well, with only 5 out of 18 cameras taken out during that time. The situation became quiet for the next minute until the ships start launching MSs at the entrance of Cook Strait, followed by the firing of missiles. The beeping of the control panels continues as the missiles close in, but their trajectories are off, heading towards the city east of the base instead.

"They are…"started Halberton.

"Target!" asked Waltfeld quickly.

"Christchurch, sir! The MSs are heading for Wellington as well. But, the cities have started evac early and most of the streets should be empty"

"So, they are trying to force us out, huh?" commented Flaga in a still relaxed tone, but hardly anyone paid attention.

"Justice can launch underwater" Athrun said quite loudly, followed by silence for the next few seconds as Waltfeld seem to struggle for a decision.

"Go!" he finally said to Athrun who immediately dashed out, followed by Flaga. "All hands, we will proceed with Father Malchio's plan. Speed up the preparation for Kusanagi and Archangel. We will destroy the enemy fleet and abandon base"

"_Andy…_" thought Aisha as everyone around her shouted in keen agreement before immediately resuming their tasks.

"Commander" Halberton said as Athrun dictates his launch sequence in the background, "wouldn't you be thinking of going to Orb?"

"Of course not, Admiral. Orb already has a lot of problems on her hands. We will be escaping to space"

"Archangel doesn't have the equipment necessary to do that, and I believe the Kusanagi needs a mass driver. We are nowhere near the equator"

Waltfeld showed him the view of Archangel being equipped with a pair of atmospheric boosters, "That ship is based on the Izumo-class and we have prepared for it. As for Kusanagi, it would be easier to wait and see"

"You guys seemed determined for it. Care to explain?" asked Flaga while the two MSs are heading for the strait.

Athrun hesitated for a moment before saying, "Commander informed us about EAF's spread and the fact that the base may soon be compromised. Of course there had been heated discussion when we heard that we may need to flee. Malchio resolved the disagreement by saying that the escape is necessary to ensure the faction's survival and our comeback, and he planned most of the preparation. All I know so far is that he is already waiting for us in space and Kusanagi will rendezvous with the Gigafloat somewhere in the Pacific"

"Using that mobile civilian mass driver which EAF lost control of, nice move" he remarked to which Athrun ignored as they surfaced.

"Hey, teacher. I'm going for the mobile suits in transit. Could you handle the city?"

"No problem. And, don't call me that, sounds like I'm intellectual or something. Major would do" he replied, opening fire and destroying the first MS shooting within the city grounds.

Although this is barely Athrun's 3rd sortie in a mobile suit, he performs pretty well in an actual battle and Justice's armament matches his fighting style well. Mounting the backpack lifter, he flies low over the water, making him almost surfing, while evading beam fires and retaliating with his rifle and cannon, taking down a few enemies. The Strike Daggers, though numbering dozens, have a distinct disadvantage against the nuclear-powered MS in that they are unable to fly in the atmosphere.

Flaga performed mostly saber attacks within the city for fear of misfire with the rifle. However, as the enemy MSs start to target him, he cannot afford to stay inland as their shots might also hit the area. Having experience in practice combating Forbidden, Calamity, and Raider, and evading their trigger happy shots, he has no problem evading the ground fire.

"Bastard" he cursed, noticing several enemies taunting him to come down by firing at a building blocks and making it crash onto a group of escaping civilian below. At the next moment, however, those pilots paid for their actions with their lives when a couple sabers disintegrated their bodies. Flaga then rushed to the site and put up his shield to block other shots while the other surviving civilians scurried on behind him. After they left the scene, motionless uniformed bodies can be seen littering the perimeter around the mass of concrete, which many more might probably be crushed underneath it. He looked around and then suddenly turned his head so quickly that his neck cracked when his sub camera scanned past a barely moving brunette nearby the concrete mount. "_It can't be…what is she doing here?_" he thought, leaving the site for a while to take out incoming units.

"Justice, the city is clear for now. Any more coming in?" Flaga transmitted after stabbing the 5th and the last enemy unit in the cockpit.

"No, I'm keeping them busy," he replied, "The ships are ready to launch in 10 minutes. Please take care of the enemy fleet. I'll join you shortly"

"Be right there" he said, returning to the concrete mess. Assail knelt down before Flaga descents down the cockpit cable. "_Murrue_" He ran over towards that particular motionless body, checking the absent vital signs of other bodies. Fearing the worst, he checked for hers and was relieved to find them present. He then carried her back to Assail and launched to meet up with Athrun who had already sunk part of the fleet.

"Major, all preparations are comple-" Halberton appeared on the comm and gave him a questioning look upon noticing the unconscious woman on his lap.

"I will explain everything later, sir" he said, switching his sight towards a ship barraging him with anti air fire, "Please hold on for a while"

A few minutes and 9 sunk ships later, Archangel fires up its engines and exits the cave while towing Kusanagi which is equipped with external wings to aid its atmospheric flight. Assail returned to ship so that Murrue can receive the proper medical attention while Justice circled around and scouted ahead.

All DARTH members stood silently as the ships moved into the Pacific until, a few seconds later, the base behind them self-destructed by implosion. All of them, including Waltfeld and Athrun saluted to the place which had been their home, at least for most of them, for 10 years. Halberton and the Archangel crew joined in respect, expect for Flaga who is preoccupied in the medic room. The salute held on for approximately 30 seconds until an incoming message in Archangel's bridge interrupted them.

"Agent clearance code from Orb, sir. It's a recorded video transmission"

"Patch it in" Waltfeld said.

The video, and a night vision variation of it, played showing an almost empty corridor with some uniformed students staggering along, while a male voice introduced, "We managed to secure this footage, sir" The playback continues until 2 figures, Cagalli and Milly is shown. After the camera followed them a few seconds, another person is approaching them from the opposite site of the screen and that cued the footage to zoom into the figure. Both the normal and the night vision did not help as the camera is high-angled and only shows the top of the person's head. However, at the next moment, when the person lunged at Cagalli, a flash provided the light necessary in the normal color version. Waltfeld's heart skipped a beat when he noticed the pale brown color and familiar style of the person's hair. After Milly is taken out similarly the next second, the footage ended with another person joining the previous one and shooting out the camera.

* * *

The spectacled youth stares silently out the balcony until a female voice called him from the large house behind the balcony. He looks around blankly for a while before walking towards the source of the call, moving past a person which he clearly hadn't noticed.

"Father Malchio, would you like to join us?" asked the same voice, and that person walks in following the still unaware boy.

"He looks well, Lacus" Malchio said when they are at garden table on which lies three plates of breakfast meals.

The boy suddenly tensed upon hearing the voice and turned around, finally realizing that Malchio's there. He took a few steps back until a pink-haired girl took his arm and while guiding him to his seat, said, "It's fine, Kira. He's a friend" Even so, he still kept looking at Malchio nervously, who just smiled at him.

Being only around Lacus, the servants, and occasionally his and Lacus' tutor, and Siegel, Kira, his mind still recovering, automatically felt uncomfortable around complete strangers. However, despite his socially-retarded behavior, Kira learned at a much faster pace than even the brightest coordinators, as admitted by his tutor. Most of his speaking, writing and reading abilities returned in only a couple of weeks, partly thanks to Lacus. She also realized that he is hindered by his inability to see and therefore gave him that pair of electronic glasses which links directly to his nerves, granting him sight. The first thing that he said out of thin air when he sees Lacus is that she is beautiful. However, he didn't know that they are not related at all. Lacus pretended to be his sister and therefore Siegel, his father, so just that he can act more comfortably around them. Of course, Lacus' feelings to him are not sibling love, but she didn't want to shock him until he has fully recovered. In the early periods of his recovery, Kira, being scared of the dark and monster-under-the-bed affair just like any other kid, always took refuge on Lacus' bed, which in turn, made her uncomfortable, at least for the first few times until she can summon the courage to hug him close while singing him a lullaby. Up till now, he still showed no signs of remembering anything prior to being at Lacus' home. Many a times, she took Kira out on recreations and each time, there would be one or more hardcore fans that were able sneak in and find her together with a seemingly retarded brown-hair. Lacus neither cared about it nor his previous occupation, just as long as he is with her. Each of those intruders had been convinced of trespassing also, so there's little threat of rumors.

"What brings you here, Father?" she asked.

"I have private matters to discuss with Siegel" he replied. "And I'm glad to have met you and him" a phrase to which Lacus frowned as she, having utilized her verbal persuasion skills on her father, knows Malchio's and Kira's relation in DARTH. "However, I feel it's fortunate for him not be involved in such affairs anymore" he added upon sensing Lacus' uneasiness.

After the meal, when Lacus had finished cleaning up, the door bell rang, indicating the time for both teenagers' homeschooling. However, this time something seems quiet off since the voice of one of the maids welcoming the teacher was not heard. Unlike Lacus, Kira tensed once again upon noticing the irregular routine. Since they always have their lessons in the garden, Lacus went to greet the teacher when she entered and stood by the garden door. The Haros jumped more violently at the sight of the female teacher.

Just as she said, "Good morning, Ms Rozefy", however, about a dozen ZAFT attires stormed in, one of them shooting and killing the woman, reached for Lacus. Kira, who had been looking blankly soulless for the past months, for once showed a human expression. He breathed out her name watching she struggle futilely against the holds of the soldier, and flashbacked to parts of Frey getting shot and Shani almost killing Lacus scenes. At the next moment, he felt his feet leaving the ground and realized, while watching Lacus' reaching for him, that Malchio had tackled him down behind the side-turned table to avoid the soldier's fires. When they stopped, Kira quickly stood up and was about to run after them but a stifled groan from behind him stopped him in his tracks. His dilated eyes turned to look at the source and found blood patches on Malchio's body. Apparently, he took more than one bullet hits for Kira when he tackled him down.

Seeing him, Kira flashbacks to a number of people in pools of blood on the barrel end of his gun, and to the completion of Frey's and Lacus' scenes. He instinctively knelt down beside him and shallowly plunged the fingers of his right hand into two holes on the right side of Malchio's upper body, and placed his left hand on the side of his right thigh: all to slow the bleeding. At the same time he did this, however, he recalled the scenes in DARTH medical facility; the things he saw before he regained consciousness; his exchange with Malchio; the knowledge about SEED.

"I'm glad…Kira" Malchio's heavy breathing slowed his speech.

"Don't talk. Save your strength" he looked around to trying to find something and was about to reach for the table cloth with his left hand but Malchio held it down and opened his dilated eyes to look at him.

"It's okay. Just listen to me. Use needs…to work…with understanding. Only true…SEEDs can do. I'm glad…to have a successor like…you. Potential…my boy…don't waste it," his breathing became shallower as he struggles to continue, "This…remember...you…trusted R…usty. Will lead…to...her"

Even though he showed anxiety and sadness for a split second when Malchio first set eyes on him, he watched the older man close his eyes and breathed his last with his usual DARTH-cold face. A scene of him talking with an orange-haired teenager also flashed briefly. The mansion's security alarm ensued for the next few minutes, as Kira stayed motionless looking at the dead man who had somewhat a peaceful look on his face, until another group of soldiers entered, followed by Siegel.

"Clear!" said one of soldiers, who then approached Kira, "we have two casualties, get medic-"

"They are dead" Kira interrupted him, getting up on his feet.

"Kira, what happened? Are you alright? Where's Lacus?" Siegel asked consecutively with worry evident on his face, until his eyes rest upon Malchio, striking him speechless.

* * *

"Scramble all units! Don't let them get away!" barked the Airspace Defense commander amidst the flashing red signals of the control room, "Is Ades commanding the Vesalius?"

"We just received report that he is at his home, sir"

"Good, then ignore that ship. Concentrate on the mobile suit"

"Sir, the X13A and Vesalius has changed bearings," informed a CIC operator, "Aprilius One just detected an unauthorized shuttle launch!"

The commander swiftly switched his attention to the map on the main screen showing 4 red blips, labeled X13A, Vesalius, and GuAIZs, heading for the Shuttle blip, as well as the rapid vanishing of ZAFT unit signals in the vicinity of the X13A.

"Aprilius Command, can you confirm the occupants of that shuttle?" transmitted the commander.

"Ms. Lacus Clyne may be on board, I repeat, Ms. Lacus Clyne is onboard. HD, do you copy?"

"Yes, are you sure?"

"Our security cams confirmed it. Don't shoot it by mistake"

"Order Yazan, Ramsus, and Dunkel squadrons to secure that shuttle. Don't let it reach Vesalius"

However, all three GuAIZ squadrons were eliminated by the X13A. The shuttle docked with Vesalius, who later made it out of ZAFT airspace. The 2 rogue GuAIZs, on the other hand, did not make it through.

The commander's face can be seen crunching up in desperation but he kept his cool and ordered, "Send out recon GINNs. Don't let it escape our watch. Alert National Defense HQ"

* * *

A/N: Sorry again for the long delay, my folks took me on the cold Scandinavia but nice Mediterranian tours. Learned a lot. Now I should excel my world history class, hopefully. I'm glad I'm back. School's up next week, but I got to start this coming Monday, phew, because of the darned prefect duties and projects. Your much treasured reviews will be appreciated… 


	10. Subliminal Determination

Archangel and Kusanagi successfully escaped to space thanks to the Giga-float and, based on Malchio's directions, headed to L4 for shelter. No one knows why he chose that place, but they do know, however, that the move to go to space was right as rumors start to spread of EAF's doomsday weapon that is created to eliminate PLANTs. And then there was the Orb incident. Although Uzumi didn't mention anything about the bombings on its soil, Waltfeld somehow felt responsible due the connection of his agents' disappearance to the fact that someone who resembles Kira is captured on tape just minutes before the attack. Athrun, who grew up with his presumably dead friend, had been trying hard to convince himself that Kira hadn't been the one who betrayed them at Davos, but upon watching the footage, his confidence start to fade and, added with the fact that Cagalli was attacked, and most probably dead, anger somehow took the place of that confidence. To make matters worse, the two ships encountered a patrolling EAF squadron within Earth's orbit. They were destroyed but one of the units managed to radio lunar base. As a result, everyone on both ships are on their toes, including a civilian which Flaga 'rescued', who, after shaking off the consecutive shocks when finding out about Athrun, Flaga, and DARTH, now serve as one of Archangel's undermanned CIC post.

EAF pretty much managed to purge ZAFT off the face of the earth, but their victory came in a high price. ZAFT, noticing the increasing suspicious activities on and around the Ptolemaeus base, called back all of its forces and pulled a move executed by EAF ten years ago by using the Cyclops system. EAF readily fell for the robotic decoys installed to replace the human elements.

Back at PLANTs, anxiety is vaguely present amongst its populace due to the knowledge Providence's theft and rumors of EAF's activities on the moon. Knowing that Lacus' abduction will cause further panic, the Supreme Council tried hard to cover the incident, but sooner or later, a leak is inevitable. Of course, investigation efforts and pursuit were already done. Ades, captain of the stolen Vesalius, was assigned to the experimental high-speed transport ship Eternal, together with several volunteers and 5 chosen rookie red-coats, in an effort to give them battle experience before the impending all-out assault on the moon. The remaining prototype nuclear-powered MS the X10A, which was being tested with the METEOR system and therefore escaped Creuset's hands, was also loaded abroad Eternal. After following the bearings of the recon GINNs for a few days until the last report before they lost contact and believed to be destroyed, the ship's present location placed it closest to the abandoned L4 colony group than any other potential hiding place.

* * *

Subliminal Determination

* * *

"They had been there since we arrived" briefed Ades to a group gathered around the tactical map of the bridge, "There's still no sign of Vesalius, but they are likely to be hiding within the colonies in the vicinity. Having a 2 day lead is advantageous to them. It is possible that they might have left the area" 

"Any identification on the battle?" asked Kira, his voice drawing the attention of the group.

"Sorry, sir," Yzak replied in a mocking voice, completely disregarding Kira's white uniform, "I believe our mission was to secure-"

"Yzak, stop it already" Dearka interrupted him.

Those two ex-Dublin Institute students were enrolled into the military school by their Supreme Council member parents after the Davos affair and EAF's invasion of the Americas, in light of the impending war threat. Being better than the average coordinators, it is no surprise that they received the ace red color uniform during their graduation right the day when DARTH abandoned its HQ. However, upon assignment to Eternal and finding out that their commander is Kira, Yzak was not very happy. He, more than once, protested for the reason and purpose of such a young commander, and was not convinced when told that Kira's been working undercover in Dublin in an effort to bring down Creuset. Siegel created a false profile for Kira, seeing him having more experience and training than anyone his age in ZAFT, and more importantly, the determination to get Lacus back. No one else within ZAFT knows about DARTH.

"Montgomery-class, Forbidden, Raider, Calamity, and 3 unknowns off the colony west side. EAF registration detected but unknown on the other units" reported one for the CIC officer.

"It is unlikely that we will evade their detection if we were to investigate the colonies" said Ades, "our prime suspect is the GARM-R&D, the only fully intact and operable colony. The east side dock entrance should be accessible, but it they chose to interfere, exit might be complicated"

"Launch all mobile suits" said Kira, prompting the pilots to leave and get ready, "there's no other way around it. Eternal will stay here"

Ades nodded as Kira left the bridge. He then assumed his seat, announced condition red and prepared the ship for MS launch.

"I don't like him, I don't respect him" said Yzak quite loudly in the hangar, floating towards Freedom, the unit which he believed was assigned to him, the best pilot, until it was announced otherwise.

"Then what do you want to do, coup him?" joked Dearka as he laughed with nobody in particular because no one found it funny.

"He is still the commander. Don't mess with him or you will get court-martialed" warned a brown-haired girl as she went past the two pilots.

"And you, whatsyourname, Shiho? Don't interrupt me!" barked Yzak, still looking hesitantly at his GuAIZ and Freedom.

"It is so pleases you" came the voice he detests from behind him, "you pilot it. I can't afford to waste time quarreling with an overgrown kid like you"

Yzak watched wide-eyed as Kira brushed past him and entered into his GuAIZ's cockpit. He couldn't say anything in return either, and as Dearka commented, he was shut down. Saving his rage for the battle instead, he mounted Freedom's cockpit while muttering curses. Then, one-by-one, each of them announced their launch sequence and entered the black, cold space.

"Remember, our enemy is the Providence. Don't let your guard down" Kira reminded as he led 6 MS group. Though he hadn't admitted it loudly, he is currently very nervous, and unlike the others, he never recalled having piloted a MS nor had he gone through the simulations as much as they did, but he somehow felt comfortable with it as if he had done something similar like it somewhere, sometime before.

"Commander, ZAFT units detected" informed the Kusanagi CIC.

"Now? Argh, bad time" Waltfeld expressed, "Alert Archangel"

"Justice, incoming bogeys, watch out" transmitted Halberton, just as Justice's radar rang out once again when Forbidden fired his homing plasma cannon. He evaded, only to be rammed by the mobile armor Raider. Fortunately, Aisha's M1 managed to interrupt a to-be fatal shot by Forbidden, making the MS switch its concentration to it. Athrun detached Justice's backpack and directed it towards Forbidden, forcing him to draw up his shields to block the Fatum cannons. The other Strike Daggers are still busy engaging the M1s and GuAIZs.

Not wanting any trouble, Eternal team discreetly headed straight for the entrance of colony. Athrun and the M1s didn't want to invite more conflict as well, but after seeing them approaching the damaged Kusanagi docked in the east entrance and not knowing their intentions, pursued them and consequently drew the battle with them. Kira also didn't know that a mothership is docked within the colony entrance and was clearly surprised when the enemy suddenly chased after them.

Athrun charged at full speed towards them despite having Forbidden and Calamity firing wild shots at him. However, those wild shots, although not intended, were heading towards Shiho's and Dearka's units instead, forcing them to draw up their shields and shoot back. Yzak started blasting Freedom's guns at them to keep them at bay but Athrun's evaded through the opening in the middle of the volley and was about to cut past Yzak when Kira countered Justice's saber just a few inches from Freedom's cockpit. The moment their short-range weapons clashed, however, they felt a certain familiar tinge.

"…Ki…ra?" Athrun breathed out, as growing up with his brother-like friend had formed a sort of bond between them. Kira, on the other hand, only managed to recall flickers of the other's image upon hearing his voice.

"Get in there! We will hold them off" Yzak said, this time slashing down on Justice, which disengaged the saber lock and evaded. Kira moved off and proceeded towards the dock entrance. Assail, busy handling Forbidden, tried to stop him by sending 4 gunpods in his way, but Kira, much to Flaga's surprise, adeptly evaded through the all-range assault.

"Kira! What are you doing here? You, KIRA!" Athrun shouted, trying to go after the GuAIZ, but Freedom's, Calamity's and Raider's desire for a four-way battle held him back.

Shiho joined with up with him near the entrance, but was separated when Archangel forced the Lohengrin at them, despite having the Montgomery class surrounding it. Kira entered through the dock alone, passing by Kusanagi as if he hadn't noticed it.

"He, that unit...find out their intentions. There should be a mothership around, and be alert, the others might follow" Waltfeld started, "And when can we launch? Hurry up!"

Kira searched within the interior of the abandoned colony, flying around a couple times and each time, a strangely familiar structure caught his attention. He landed and geared up before running through into the unlighted tunnel. Soon after, he stopped in front of a spiral staircase and, somehow recognizing the place, let down the rifle in his hands.

"You sure do know how to keep your host waiting, Mr. Yamato" said a voice, suddenly breaking the silence and making Kira draw up his rifle again, "or should I say, Kira Ulen Hibiki"

"Stop your blabbering and hand over the girl right now!" he demanded, advancing along the stairs towards the source of the voice.

"Oh, don't be so rude, my boy. Come, come and see this wonderful yet sinful place in which you are born!"

Kira tried hard to ignore and shut out whatever the voice said. However, he felt some sort of affinity with the bizarre place and can't help but to process the verbal information given to him. At the same time, he had to keep his guard up upon feeling watchful eyes around each corners. The first clear recollection of his past replayed when he was crossing a suspended metal bridge surrounded by weird-looking tubes.

"Getting acquainted, Kira? That's just the beginning, you know" taunted the voice again. Kira shook off his trance and increased his speed. Meanwhile the voice continued, telling him about his origin, his family, his life, his relation to the speaker, and the lies he was told to believe. Kira felt himself getting disoriented and his breathing becoming heavy by each word said that causes vague scenes of his past, even the memory before he met Athrun, to come back to him. Then, upon reaching a dark, sizable room, the lights flicked on suddenly, jolting the sweating brown hair back to reality. Kira wheeled around many times as he switched the crosshairs of his rifle from one armed cloaked person to the next; 7 of them are surrounding him.

"Now, don't be rude, guys, place your guns down" said Creuset, coming into Kira's view, maskless and this time, Kira clearly noticed his eyes. He swiftly aimed at him while the latter merely smiled and continued, "how are you feeling? Seem rather tired to me and it should be fitting, seeing you escaped death so many a times"

"What do you want? Where's she?" Kira's almost hoarse voice said.

"First question, it depends. Second question, right here" he said, and an orange-haired youth appeared dragging the bound and cuffed Lacus who is struggling weakly and her dress ripped in some places. Kira took a step forward instinctively but stopped when another soldier brought out a blonde-haired girl, similarity bound and cuffed like Lacus and her clothes more crudely ripped. Lacus mumbled louder upon hearing Kira's voice, and Cagalli started trashing around wildly, resulting in a gun butt to the head which knocked her out.

"What have you done with them?" he asked bitterly, his finger about to pull on the trigger and blow the brains out of Creuset.

"Don't be impatient. I'll explain, but first" he motioned, and a soldier opened fire and struck Kira's right arm twice, forcing him to drop the gun. "I can't have that anger getting the best of you, can't I? Now, as for your question, let's just say that my DARTH allies here deserve them as a present. You get me?"

"You…bastard" Kira cursed, every inch of his being just boiling to send that man into oblivion even though seven full-auto rifle barrels are sniffing down at him.

"Oh, you can't tell how much I'm enjoying this" he paused, "and before I forget, Ms Attha here is that very sibling I told you about"

That statement sent an anvil down his stomach. As much as he tried to dismiss all that he said as nonsense, this place prevented him from doing so. Kira continued staring at Creuset until his smiling lips are covered by the barrel of a gun which he just drew and pointed at Kira. The other two holding Cagalli and Lacus also placed their guns on each girl's heads.

"This time, surely" his voice suddenly changing to sounding vicious, "watch them your own eyes, but don't worry, you will join them shortly"

The cold, calm face Kira tried to put up now completely disappeared as he watched the eyes of the orange-hair and almost pleading with him. In slow motion, he witnessed Rusty's gun moving up away from the pink hair before simultaneous bangs rang out in the room. He thought he was dreaming; neither Lacus' nor Cagalli's dead bodies he sees, but Creuset's bloody hand and the fallen remains of the 4 soldiers. The 5 others, including the orange-haired youth, now has their weapons aimed at the blonde man.

"Rusty, you bastard" he hissed, slowly backing up to a counter behind him.

"You overly underestimated DARTH members. Just because Miguel is stupid enough, you believed each of us is that easy to be used of, and that is your weakness. Cuff him" Rusty said, kicking Creuset's gun towards Kira, "You would have never thought the person you're trying to kill is the person setting up all these traps, wouldn't you?"

Kira's mind now raced rapidly due to the drastic turn of events. He, without noticing it, let one of them, Faye, apply a patch to his wounds while another cuffed Creuset, and the last two unbound the two girls. Lacus rushed to Kira's side, while the other is thrown on the shoulder of one agent. Kira's still in trance as he recollected the events which led to this; beginning from the dreams he saw while hospitalized in HQ up to his conversation to Rusty.

"What, what do you mean?" the blonde asked, now surprise evident on his face.

"I don't know how he managed to predict all these, but, yes, Kira trusted me on this task, and Father Malchio supported it. We carried out your plans, though none died in Orb. The media was given false information, thanks to Uzumi's trust in us. And to assure your sick mind," Rusty shot Creuset's right foot, making him curse in pain, "we did not open your sexual presents. These two are better actresses than we thought. Now move it!"

"K,kira?" Lacus said when Kira still hadn't done anything or spoke a word as they followed the six through the way which Kira came from. Suddenly, on the suspended bridge, a strong vibration flickered lights and knocked them off-balance, providing the opportunity for Creuset to tackle his captor down before running away. All of them didn't know he escaped until the tackled agent alerted them. However, as they opened fire, Creuset had escaped through a door.

"We need to keep moving" said Kira finally amidst the next, more violent tremor. "How are you getting out of here?"

"Shuttle. Commander's Kusanagi is within range of this colony. It seems an EAF faction joined them in that white battleship. I just hope they don't get shoot us down by mistake. Only Malchio knows about this mission" Rusty answered.

"Why are they up here for?"

"Self-destructed the base. EAF's compromised her location" he said grimly and added, "I'll explain the rest later. Creuset's still have control of the Vesalius, problem", before separating. Kira thought of entrusting Lacus to them but feeling her constant tight grip on his arm, he dismissed it.

"Are you okay?" asked Lacus as the two were pulled up the GuAIZ's cockpit cable.

"Yeah, sorry, for dragging you into-" he stopped abruptly just as a sensation struck his mind, prompting him to boost up a split second before beams from all directions come striking his way.

* * *

"And when can we launch? Hurry it up!" said Waltfeld. 

"We can but engine 1 is still offline, we will be at a disadvantage"

"Commander!" transmitted Athrun, "The unit that went inside, that's Kira!"

"Assail damaged, returning to Archangel"

"Grets, Boran, Fran. Signal lost!" followed another operator, adding to Waltfeld's stress and frustration.

Outside, a fatal three-way battle still raged on. Dearka and the other GuAIZs tried to disengage and follow after Kira but the M1s continued blocking their path despite Calamity on their tails, while Archangel's GuAIZs battled the Strike Daggers in their place. Yzak's hothead made him forget about his mission and was engrossed in Justice instead, putting Athrun against 3 enemies at once. But fortunately, Forbidden and Raider occasionally fired at each other and at Freedom, allowing him a few breathing times. Being outnumbered and out-experienced by the black MSs around them, Eternal's team is getting pushed rather badly. Dean's unit was taken out, leaving only Dearka, Shiho, and Norman.

"Yzak! Dammit, get back here!" shouted Dearka. "Shut up!" was the reply he got.

"Eternal, full forward" ordered Ades, "We are going to blow a hole on that colony. Tell the pilots"

Eternal fired its engines and Ades ordered METEOR activation. However, by moving away from its hiding place, it became visible to the others' radars. Dearka fired at Yzak to snap him out of his blindness and informed him of the plan. Reluctantly, he disengaged and fired at one point of the colony's side to mark Eternal's target.

"This is ZAFT cruiser ship Eternal" said Ades. "Our mission is to investigate the GARM colony. We have no intention of interfering in your battle whatsoever. Please leave us in our affair"

Everyone on the battlefield was taken aback by the announcement except for Eternal's crew and the three EAF MSs. Halberton took advantage of that and managed to score a direct hit on two of the Montgomery ships, sending one of them crashing onto the colony. Eternal followed by unleashing all its guns at the point where Yzak marked. The blast damaged Forbidden and Raider, which stood in its way, and punctured the colony's side. The remaining EAF ships fired the withdraw flares and retreated. Archangel's and Kusanagi's units let Freedom and the GuAIZs enter the colony while the Halberton just watched Eternal's movements warily.

"I appreciate the cooperation. We are currently pursuing a wanted criminal Rau le Creuset, which might be hiding within this area" said Ades.

Hearing that, Athrun followed suit and entered through the hole, and Waltfeld, linking the events that led to this, finally managed to get an idea of what's going on.

"Give it up, Creuset!" said Kira as he desperately evaded Providence's DRAGOON beam assault.

"To you!" he shouted, "never in my life!"

The GuAIZ's limited mobility cannot match up with such consecutive attacks. Kira lost the right leg and thrusters, and was at a great disadvantage until Freedom shows up followed by 3 GuAIZs. Yzak was about to full-blast Providence, but a beam-spike funnel interrupted him. Creuset redirected 2 more funnels towards Freedom and one at each GuAIZs. Yzak, having trouble with just 3, noticed Kira in a damaged GuAIZ managing to evade more than 5 of them in addition to Providence's own beam blasts, and realized why he isn't given the mobile suit. Until before Justice shows up, all of them can only concentrate on evading, let alone trying to fire at the MS. Finally seeing that he is being outnumbered, Creuset transmitted to Vesalius to begin launch.

"Yzak! The Vesalius, shoot it down!" ordered Kira as he knows only Freedom out of the bunch has firepower enough to knock it out in one shot. Of course, Providence isn't going to let that happen. Yzak was thrown back when one of the funnels blew Freedom's head off. The ship then punctured another hole on the other side of the colony before escaping through it.

"No matter what, I still win!" Creuset said. Dearka's, Norman's units were simultaneously disabled by the funnels waiting in ambush outside the hole.

"What do you mean?" Kira asked back.

Just as he finished, a narrow light ray can be seen from the edge of earth streaking towards the L5 position.

"GENESIS" he introduced proudly, "aimed at PLANTs, Boom! Hahaha…"

"You're insane!" Kira shouted, charging at him despite having both arms shot off. While all these were happening, Lacus was in silence beside Kira's seat.

Athrun tossed both boomerangs at Providence, distracting him, and grabbed Kira away. Shiho and Yzak had Norman and Dearka in tow respectively ahead of them. After a few shots, Providence ceased firing and escaped with Vesalius.

"Let me go, Athrun. That psycho needs to be stopped!"

"In this condition? You'll just get her and yourself killed!"

Kira immediately turned to his side, remembered that Lacus is there, and regretted putting her life in danger.

"You have a lot of explaining to do" Athrun said with a hint of anger.

* * *

Februarius Two, Martius One, Maius One, Aprilius One, Aprilius Two and Junius One fell by the first shot of EAF's weapon, in addition to several others being damaged. The death toll was estimated to be at least five million and almost all Supreme Council members perished in that event; only Eileen Canaver and Ezalia Joule, who are both away on diplomatic discussions, survived and took command of the confused PLANTs. Eileen concentrated on sorting out the panic while Ezalia organized the military for an all out assault on that weapon. Boaz forces had already begun their attack when Eternal received the order to join in. Their intentions the same, and knowing that Malchio's gone, Archangel and Kusanagi followed the ZAFT ship. Although most of EAF supports the elimination of Coordinators, a number of factions within it consider the firing of that weapon an act of genocide and rebelled on JOSH-A. Orb supported their actions and mobilized their forces too. 

That news hit the crew of the three ships extremely hard. However, Lacus didn't show her weakness and attended the meeting on Archangel to decide the ships' alliance. Despite the heavy atmosphere, however, some people managed to experience some lightening times, such as Athrun saying to Cagalli that her disappearance worried him a lot, and Flaga reminding Murrue about her agreeing to go out with non-teachers only, which led up to a kiss. Missing information of previous events that caused all the confusion and suspicion was also somewhat resolved by Kira and Rusty, except for Kira's origin which Rusty and the others promised to keep a secret. Kira inquired Waltfeld about his birth, but the older man only knew that he found him and Athrun on the battlefield. Cagalli still didn't know about her relation, and Kira planned to keep it that way.

* * *

"Daddy…why" mumbled Lacus repeatedly in her sleep as tears occasionally rolled down her cheek. 

Kira, seated on the edge of the bed, watched painfully at her. He knows all the tragedy links back to Creuset and vows to get him. He brushed his fingers around her eyelids to wipe off her tears before cupping her right cheek with the same hand. Lacus' tossing subsided at his touch and she slowly stirred.

"Kira…how long have I been asleep?" she asked, pulling herself off the cover, revealing an oversized shirt which slipped off her right shoulder.

"Don't worry" he said, "You been asleep for only an hour, sorry, I woke you up"

Silence ensued for the next minutes as they looked at each other. Lacus' eyes start to well up again before she abruptly jumped onto Kira's chest and cried freely for the first time since Siegel's death. He, also on the verge of tears, just held her tightly with his uninjured arm in silence, promising his life in place of hers.

"Will you be going out there again?" she asked after calming down and still leaning on him.

"Yeah"

"Then let me stay here. I don't want to be hiding," she said, referring to the plan of dropping her off on a ZAFT ship bound for Jachin Due, "especially when you are out there"

"But, Lacus" he started, pushing her at arm's length so that they are looking at each other.

"I'm not a little girl my father had been treating me. You have risked your life time and again for me. I've lost daddy, and if you…then I…"

Kira merely moved closer to her while she said this and Lacus tensed up seeing his advance. Kira, not wanting to force himself on her, waited for her response when he's just an inch away from her. After a couple seconds delay, she slowly shut her eyes and closed the gap between them.

* * *

"Kira, behind!" alerted Athrun. Freedom wheeled around and swung METEOR's sword across the pursuing Raider, forcing it to swerve out of the way. However, Justice, coming in from behind, cut through it in half before flying past Freedom toward GENESIS. Kira checked the situation around him before following the other METEOR user. A short distance behind them, Assail and the M1s engaged Forbidden and Calamity while the three ships and their MSs trailed Freedom and Justice. Their objective is to at least delay another cannon blast by destroying its mirror block until the cannon itself can be disabled. 

Cagalli, with her brash attitude, tried to go out with a MS, but Athrun kept her inside Kusanagi because what she will do is just as good as committing suicide. Lacus, though she cannot fight as well, used her reputation to try to talk sense into EAF. Apparently, it worked to some extend as some ships and MSs ceased combat operations and at the very least retreated, causing confusion within the enemy. The battle had proceeded for at least 18 hours since the three ships arrived but EAF still has numerical advantage. They are so desperate in trying to destroy the PLANTs that their HQ in JOSH-A is not reinforced. Orb and her allies successfully invaded and secured that location. So far, 3 mirror blocks have been destroyed, but it came at a high price for ZAFT as they sacrificed themselves through the heavy defense and tough integrity of the target.

"That is bigger than I thought" said Athrun as they come within firing range of GENESIS. Both then unleashed all guns and missiles a few times over, taking out most of the defense units. Clear of disturbances, they fired again at the mirror block, but the projectiles proved useless, making them resort to using only the sabers which have a slightly better effect.

"This won't going to work. There must a control at Ptolemaeus. We need to take that down" Athrun said.

However, as they were about to leave, Kira felt the same flash he experienced in Mendel battle.

"Athrun, watch out!" he said as both evaded a shower of beams.

"It's that unit again"

"Go and shut it down!" said Kira before he charged at the gray MS, "Creuset, you sick bastard!"

"Sick? Sick you say? Compare me to your father and see who's sick!" he retorted while evading Freedom's fly-by slash and keeping Justice from moving away. "What I did was merely aid the process. Azrael was the one that caused all of these!"

"But without you, nothing like these would happen!" Kira answered back, moving in the way of Justice so that it can disengage. "Always. You! Why do you want to cause so much destruction?"

"I hate myself, I detest your father, I loathe his creations, the coordinators, especially you. You're a taboo! Blame it all on him, not me! Blame it all on his obsession to create the ultimate human, you. You are guilty as well. Man's weakness, envy. Why couldn't they do this, why couldn't they be like them, why couldn't they dream to be like they want to be. I'm a failed result, Kira! I envy you. I thought, why didn't he just kill me? He forced me to live miserably like this. So now, I'll repay that deed by eliminating his pride, you, brother, even if it means my demented life!"

"What…what do you-" Kira let his guard down, costing him both the METEOR arm equipment.

"I was a botched specimen, I'm only a year older than you, but I age too quickly"

"There's no reason act that way either! If you so hate your life, why not kill yourself?"

"Not after taking his dreams down! You hear me? I'll have my revenge" Creuset declared once and for all, "Tell me, Kira, if have no one you love exist and there's no desire to be accomplished, would you go on? What is your motivation for living?"

"What are you implying?" he self-destructed the remaining METEOR, taking down 3 funnels nearby.

"Is it world peace? Is it DARTH? Or is it Lacus?" he taunted while the two locked sabers.

Images of the battlefield scrolled across his eyes: Assail taking Forbidden exploding; Justice being surrounded with beam bombardment and still managing to damage the base; Aisha and Dearka getting blown to bits; the M1s and GuAIZs fighting desperately; Raider getting blown by Archangel's cannons but not after firing at Eternal's bridge and causing a huge explosion.

"You can see it more clearly, don't you. This is our gift, our curse! That old Malchio thinks everyone is good…thinks he can change me, fat hope!" Providence picked off Freedom's right arm, "I will still win, no matter what. If the controls are destroyed in anyway, GENESIS will fire. So now tell me, she is dead, what is your motivation?"

"You! I'll…kill you!" he shouted furiously despite the beads of tears escaping his eyes, as Freedom, now equipping the double-edge saber, start to push Providence back and taking down the funnels one by one. Creuset didn't say anything else and merely smiled as if he wanted this to happen. Providence led Freedom towards GENESIS as they continued their battle there.

Kira's too enraged after seeing Eternal that he forgot about Malchio's words and didn't care about anything else but Creuset's death. Little did he know that the explosion is caused by the detonation of Assail and Forbidden, which melted Eternal's armor considerably but not destroying the chassis. Athrun's too far to be stopped from destroying the lunar base either, and the moment he took it down together with Azrael, GENESIS initiated its firing sequence of 40 secondes Words could not describe the shock on Athrun's face. He witnessed the breaking of a green seed and rushed back towards Kira's position while shouting his name.

By that time, Freedom had already impaled Providence through the pilot seat and burned its thrusters into GENESIS's barrel. That way, both mobile suits' nuclear explosions will interrupt the cannon fire and hopefully destroy it. Creuset, having a beam saber just inches from his head, grinned lifelessly as he believed to have successfully completed his intentions. Kira, failing his promise on Lacus, decided on this fate, until…he heard her voice calling him. His arms automatically jerked back, making Freedom let go of the saber handle before boosting along the cylinder with GENESIS's much faster laser chasing behind him. Athrun watched helplessly as the blue-white ray emerged out the barrel and approaching with the mirror block. However, an explosion within the cylinder disrupted the nuclear balance, therefore overloading the output of the cannon and detonating it in a bright white light. Justice, very close to the explosion, was pushed off by the shockwave. All eyes, including Lacus', were fixed on the blinding glow as it subsided; the only difference, hers is flooded with tears.

Following the aftermath of the massive light display, EAF surrendered and the battle came to an end. Kira was nowhere to be found…

* * *

A/N: That's it, hehe. Kira died, or did he? (Suspense music) Anyway, this concludes the everso arduous story. Might be a bit rushed,eh? School's just started, for me at least, so busy, busy. Thanks for taking the time to read. Even more thanks for the reviews…. 


	11. Vague Rebirth

A/N: Kinda left you guys hangin' last chap, eh? This one will be the real, hopefully-not-rushed ending.

* * *

Vague Rebirth

* * *

_I never really got to know you. You were just a schoolmate the first I met you. But, those times brought about interesting events in my life...about us, Lacus, and Athrun. Then, you disappeared, until we met again in space, but not long after that, you were gone again. I acted selfish then, knowing that if you disappeared, Athrun would try to take your place for Lacus. I so wanted you to live but honestly, I really wanted you to live. Sounds redundant, yeah? I know. It's just this abnormal feeling within me when I heard you gone. Now, don't get me wrong, it's not anything romantic. I didn't even realize it myself until father gave me that picture…the picture of us and mother together…_

"Cagalli?" a voice called.

The blonde snapped out of her trance and turned to face the origin of the voice.

"You know what to do while I'm away, right?" asked her father.

"Yes" she replied as the two walked towards a shuttle on the runway.

"Don't worry, Kisaka and the other representatives will be helping you out" he said, stopping before the stairs.

Uzumi ruffled his daughter's hair and smiled at her, receiving a kiss on the cheek in return, before boarding his transport.

"_Father's never home for 2 days straight. After GENESIS, and now during the Inquisition, everything just ran a mock. EAF is weakened rapidly and probably would end up being just a name. Most of the earth citizens are left without a nationality or affiliation, and a few had started pushing for ORB to take over. It's a very busy time just for domestic diplomacy, so the military has been placed pretty much on high alert_,_"_ she thought while being driven off from the spaceport, _"I have not heard from Lacus also…Lacus...poor girl, she probably is more stressed than I am. I hope we can get together soon…at least until the situation settled down a little"

* * *

_

_Best friend, confidante, brother…can I refer to you by that? I can, huh? Silly me, how could you answer that…but maybe you could, as long as I trust you're still alive. Compared to all those times we were separated, those 9 days seemed longer than usual. I didn't expect you to pull off that hero move, really stupid, but then again, you were never the predictable one…only this time you didn't consider my feelings, Lacus' feelings, and maybe Cagalli's…well, perhaps you might pop up somewhere, sometime later, eh?_

"Commander" Athrun saluted, "Sector B3 to C9 had been sweeped, no strange activities detected"

"Thank you, Athrun, but I'm fear I need to get you on a new assignment" said Waltfeld behind tall piles of paperwork on his table, "nah, better get you rested up first, you have worked non-stop for a week now since GENESIS."

"I'm alright, sir. I can do it"

"I knew you would say that," he said, standing up and stretching.

Athrun could almost immediately discern the fatigue on his face.

"Probably all of us are almost burnt out too, but guarding the Inquisition Conference is the least we can do for Lacus for taking us in" he continued.

"I'll get on it then, sir" said Athrun, walking out towards the hangar.

"_Confusion. That sums it up for the condition now. Especially with the Inquisition going on and the truth slowing surfacing itself to the already hysteric public, most people would not know what to believe anymore" _he thought, launching out of Kusanagi despite his vision occasionally blurring out, _"even ZAFT is not that trustworthy as I thought it would be. Andy knows that but he didn't mind because DARTH needs that much needed help and we received it indirectly through Lacus…She is one strong person. Keeping ZAFT's citizens together like that in this difficult time…I almost wonder if she's human…Cagalli too, such a young age and already leading a nation in place of Uzumi's absence…this world really needs women"

* * *

_

_I love you. There I said it...did I? I...it's…it's all your fault! All your fault! You never gave me the chance to do that, why? Why did you leave me? You promised to be with me forever but now…you left me behind to carry this burden alone. I hate you, I despise you…I love you...…Pathetic, am I not? Yeah, I am. But maybe your passing had a purpose, no? It may have made me stronger…I think…Still, I wished we could have spent more time together. Now come to think about it, I had no idea of your childhood nor your adolescence. Neither do you about mine. Or maybe you do, I don't mind. I knew you spied on me when we first met, but I don't care as long as it's you…Strange, no idea why. I had never believed in love at first sight, but everything, even beliefs, can be such a fickle thing…I can go on about this forever…heh, look at me, tears again…I miss you, eventhough I feel you in my heart…Your ideals, I will carry on…_

"Lacus, I need to stress the importance of this final Inquisition hearing. It will not be friendly, but depending on our answers, the world can either stabilize or spiral down the path of destruction." Eileen Canaver, the provisional chairwoman of PLANTs, said.

"I understand. The treaty signed at the end will set the path of our world" the younger woman, Eileen's assistant, replied.

_Politics is never simple. Mankind's desires can never be as one. There will always be someone waiting to pounce on the mistakes and weakness of others. The fact of PLANTs' contributions to the existance of GENESIS was already revealed. The Cities are under martial law to preserve security. Various rallies of activists called for justice for the perpretrators of the tragedy. But is further revenge really necessary? The very act we should be doing is moving on to prevent future tragedy. Just in a week, the number terrorist attacks reported is closely approaching that of the time span during the war. ORB is doing its part too. However, there's so much an island country can do...I'm really tired, Kira..._

_

* * *

_

A/N: Now that Destiny had ended, maybe I should do a sequel…heh, heh….


End file.
